Arratts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Arratts, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived in the lands of Arrat, near Brechin in Angus. While the name is quite rare there now, in the middle of the 16th century, the name was quite well known.

Early Origins of the Arratts family

The surname Arratts 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, where they held a family seat from very early times, some say from about the 11th century. William of Arrath held the lands of Arrat in Brechin in Angus about 1250.

Early History of the Arratts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arratts research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1264, 1296, 1378, 1473, 1528 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Arratts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arratts Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Arratts has been spelled Arath, Arrath, Arat, Aratt, Aratts, Arratt, Arrat, Arrot, Arroth, Arrott, Arrothe, Arrathe, Arrade and many more.

Early Notables of the Arratts family

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

Migration of the Arratts family

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Arratts: Leonard Aratts and his wife who settled in Pennsylvania in 1683; John Arett who settled in Virginia in 1634; D. Arratt landed in New York State in 1822.

The Arratts 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: Antiquum assero decus
Motto Translation: I claim ancient honour.