Atten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Atten is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Atten family lived in Hatton, Cheshire. Another derivation of the name suggests that it comes from the Germanic personal name Hatto, which is composed of the element hadu, which means strife or contention. 1 Although both are valid, time has confused the two definitions and historians now disagree on which is valid in any individual case.

Early Origins of the Atten family

The surname Atten was first found in Cheshire where this "noble family were descended from Sir Adam Hatton, of Hatton, county Cheshire, grandson of Wulfrid, brother of Nigel, who was lord of Halton in the same county, by gift of Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, soon after the Conquest." 2

Early History of the Atten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Atten research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1540, 1546, 1555, 1583, 1591, 1605, 1621, 1622, 1624, 1625, 1628, 1629, 1632, 1640, 1658, 1670, 1674, 1682, 1701, 1706, 1783 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Atten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Atten Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Atten are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Atten include Hatton, Hattons, Hattyn, Hattins, Hattans and others.

Early Notables of the Atten family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Christopher Hatton KG (1540-1591), an English politician, Lord Chancellor of England and a favourite of Elizabeth I of England. "He was the second son of William Hatton of Holdenby, Northamptonshire, who died in 1546. The family was old, and claimed, though on doubtful evidence, to be of Norman lineage. Hatton was entered at St. Mary Hall, Oxford, probably about 1555, as a gentleman-commoner." 3 Sir Thomas Hatton, 1st Baronet (c.1583-1658), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Corfe...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Atten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Atten family to Ireland

Some of the Atten family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Atten migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Atten, or a variant listed above:

Atten Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Geo Atten, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 4

Atten Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

And Nicholas Atten, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1755 4

The Atten 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: Nil conscire sibi
Motto Translation: To have a conscience free from guilt.

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)