Vat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Vat

What does the name Vat mean?

The sea-swept Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Vat family. Their name comes from the names Wattie and Watty, both of which are pet forms of the personal name Walter. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Bhaididh, which translates as son of Wattie or son of Watty.

Early Origins of the Vat family

The surname Vat was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Vat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vat research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1620 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Vat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vat Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Vat has been written as MacWatt, MacWattie, MacWatters, MacQuattie, MacVatt and many more.

Early Notables of the Vat family

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

Migration of the Vat family to Ireland

Some of the Vat family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vat migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Vat or a variant listed above:

Vat Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Vat, who landed in Georgia in 1734 1

Vat Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bregtje Vat, aged 30, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 1

Sources +

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)