Abbett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The surname Abbett, comes from the Old English word "abbod," which in turn comes from a Latin and a Greek root, and means "priest." The celibacy of the clergy makes it unlikely that this name is actually an occupational name for a priest, but rather was likely a name first used by someone who employed by the church, or someone thought to resemble an abbot in some way.

Early Origins of the Abbett family

The surname Abbett was first found in the counties of Oxfordshire, Huntingdon, Bedfordshire and Cambridge from very ancient times, before the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Abbett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abbett research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1306, 1577, 1611 and 1912 are included under the topic Early Abbett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abbett Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Abbott, Abbot, Abbotts, Abbett, Abbet, Abott and others.

Early Notables of the Abbett family

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

Migration of the Abbett family to Ireland

Some of the Abbett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abbett migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Abbett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Abbett, who landed in Maryland in 1649 1
Elizabeth Abbett, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 1
Jane Abbett, who landed in Maryland in 1665 1
Samuel Abbett Jr., who landed in Maryland in 1665 1
Samuel Abbett Sr., who arrived in Maryland in 1665 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Abbett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Abbett, who arrived in Indiana in 1854 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Abbett (post 1700) +

Leon Abbett (1835-1894), American Democratic Party politician, and lawyer, 26th Governor of New Jersey (1884-1887), co-founder of Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC is an independent, privately held U.S. investment management firm in 1929
Robert Kennedy "Bob" Abbett (b. 1926), American artist and illustrator for Ballantine Books, Pyramid Books and Ace Books
Leon Abbett (1867-1928), American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1899-1901 2
Leon Abbett (1836-1894), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1865-66, 1869-70; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1872, 1876 (delegation chair), 1884, 1888 2
Edwin L. Abbett, American Democratic Party politician, County Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 6th District, 1890 2

The Abbett 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: Deo patria amicis
Motto Translation: A friend to God and my country.

Citations +

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 2015, September 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html