Suitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

The ancient Scottish name Suitt is rooted in the people of the Pictish clans. Suitt was a name for a cobbler. The name is derived from the Old English word soutere, which in turn comes from the Old Norse word sutare, which means shoemaker or cobbler. 1 2

We include this excerpt from a 16th century play:

"Of that surname I neid nocht be aschomit

For I con mak schone, butekins and buittis:

Gif me the coppie of the king's cuittis,

And ye sail se, richt sune, quhat I can do."

Sir David Lindsay, Ane Satyre of the Thrie Esteaites, June 1552.

Roughly translated into more modern English:

"Of that surname I need not be ashamed, for I can make schone, butekins, and buittis" (boots) "give me a copy of the king's cuittis and ye shall see, right soon, what I can do."

Early Origins of the Suitt family

The surname Suitt was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire.

The first on record was Roger Sutor who held land in Dumfries, a. 1214, and later, Kolin, son of Anegus the Souter, was present at the pleas held at Dull in Angus in 1264. Bernard called Sutor had a charter of a house in the tenement of Drumelzier, c. 1300-1320. Fynlai sutor was prepositus of Stirling, 1327, and in 1330 Symon sutor was prepositus of the burgh of Culan. 3

Further south in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 recorded John le Suter, Cambridgeshire; and William le Sutere, Cambridgeshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 elude to the occupational nature of the name: Johannes de Morton, souter; Johannes Schether, souter; Johannes Sowter, sutor; and Adam Souterson, souiert. 4

Early History of the Suitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Suitt research. Another 369 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1110, 1327, 1375, 1402, 1422, 1438, 1457, 1460, 1464, 1511, 1527, 1586, 1633, 1660 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Suitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Suitt Spelling Variations

In medieval Scotland, names were more often spelled according to sound than any regular set of rules. An enormous number of spelling variations were the result. Over the years, the name Suitt has been spelled Souter, Suter, Sutar, Souttar, Soutar, Sutter, Shuter and many more.

Early Notables of the Suitt family

More information is included under the topic Early Suitt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Suitt Ranking

In the United States, the name Suitt is the 16,713^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Suitt migration to the United States +

In such difficult times, Ireland, Australia, and North America looked like better homes for many Scots. The trips were expensive and grueling, but also rewarding, as the colonies were havens for those unwelcome in the old country. That legacy did not die easily, though, and many were forced to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. The Scottish legacy has resurface in more recent times, though, through Clan societies, highland games, and other organizations. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the old Scottish name of Suitt:

Suitt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Suitt, who arrived in Maryland in 1676 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Suitt (post 1700) +

Thomas “Ben” Suitt, American researcher at Boston University
Charles Suitt, American producer and manager, known for The Salt-N-Pepa Show (2007) and Unsung (2008)
Ashley Suitt, American actress, known for Outside the Perimeter: The John Rocker Incident (2018)
Nick Suitt, American editor, known for Cheerleaders (2013) and American Killing (2016)
Jackie Suitt, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1988 7

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html