Abelthwaite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Abelthwaite comes from when the family resided in the township of Applethwaite, which was in the parish of Windermere in Westmorland (now part of Cumbria). There were also places with this name in Cumberland and in Suffolk, where the first instances of the surname Abelthwaite were found. In Old English, applethwaite meant an apple orchard or an area of land cleared for growing apples. 1 2

Early Origins of the Abelthwaite family

The surname Abelthwaite was first found in the county of Suffolk in south eastern England. One of the first records of the family was Stephen Appeltheit who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. Later Robert Apylweyte was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1524. 3

Early History of the Abelthwaite family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abelthwaite research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1629, 1630, 1646, 1660, 1668, 1674, 1678 and 1906 are included under the topic Early Abelthwaite History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abelthwaite Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Abelthwaite has been recorded under many different variations, including Applethwaite, Applewhite, Applewaite, Applewait, Apelwhite, Eppelwhite, Epplethwaite and many more.

Early Notables of the Abelthwaite family

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

Migration of the Abelthwaite family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Abelthwaite or a variant listed above: Henry Apllewhate who arrived in Virginia in 1713; Thomas Applewhite who arrived in Maryland in 1676; Henry Applewhaite who arrived in Virginia in 1670.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)