Ablethwhite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The present generation of the Ablethwhite family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived 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 Ablethwhite 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 Ablethwhite family

The surname Ablethwhite 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 Ablethwhite family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ablethwhite 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 Ablethwhite History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ablethwhite Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Ablethwhite include Applethwaite, Applewhite, Applewaite, Applewait, Apelwhite, Eppelwhite, Epplethwaite and many more.

Early Notables of the Ablethwhite family

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

Migration of the Ablethwhite family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Ablethwhite were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: 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)