Show ContentsJuett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Juett family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Juett came from the ancient personal name Julien. The surname of Jowett was a baptismal name which means Julien. [1]

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the French "jouet" which means "play, sport, fun." English records we find both Jouet and Jowet." [2]

Another source agrees with this direction. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Geoffry Guuit (or Guet), Normandy, 1180-95. "Matilda Joute, Richard Joyet, William Juet, Engl. c. 1272." [3]

Early Origins of the Juett family

The surname Juett was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Bredbury from early times. The lands were granted by William the Conqueror to a Norman noble by the name Jouet, from the Isle of Rhe in France. By the twelfth century they had branched to Ashton-under-Lyme in that same shire.

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on a phonetic appreciation of the names.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing: William Juet, Huntingdonshire. [4] William Jouet was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1229 and the next year, Richard Jouot was listed in the same county in the Assize Rolls of 1300. In Kent, Goger Guet was found in the Assize Rolls for 1317 and later, Robert Jowet was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. [1]

Early History of the Juett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Juett research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1452, 1591, 1592, 1613, 1614, 1631, 1639, 1641, 1643, 1675, 1693, 1694, 1701 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Juett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Juett Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Jowett, Jowet, Jowit, Jowitt, Jewett, Jewet, Juet, Jouet, Juett and many more.

Early Notables of the Juett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nehemiah Jewett (1643-1720), an American colonial politician, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1693-1694) and in 1701; during his tenure, he was responsible for compensating those damaged by the Salem witch trials.Randal or Randolph Jewett (d. 1675), was an organist and composer, is said to have received the (honorary?) degree of Mus. Bac. at Trinity College, Dublin, and to have studied music under Orlando Gibbons. Jewett was organist of the cathedrals of...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Juett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Juett migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Juett or a variant listed above:

Juett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Frances Juett, who landed in Virginia in 1651 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Juett (post 1700) +

  • William Earl Juett, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Texas, 2000 [6]
  • John Juett, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1940 [6]
  • Jane Juett, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1988; Presidential Elector for Texas, 2012 [6]


The Juett Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Animo et prudentia
Motto Translation: By courage and prudence.


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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