| ![Show Contents]() Cabott History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Cabott is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a person with a large head. The surname Cabott was originally derived from the Old French word cabot and was rendered in medieval documents in the Latin form Capoceus. Early Origins of the Cabott familyThe surname Cabott was first found in Jersey in the Channel Islands where "it is of frequent occurrence. It appears to be derived from the little fish known by us as the 'bullhead,' but on the shores of Normandy and the Channel Islands, where it abounds, as the chabot or cabot." 1 The same reference continues on: "Sebastian Cabot, the discoverer of Newfoundland (born at Bristol in 1477) is generally believed to be of Venetian extraction, but there is much reason to believe that his father was a native of Jersey." 1 Another source sheds more light on his heritage: "He was the second son of John Cabot, a Venetian pilot, who afterwards settled in Bristol as a merchant, probably as early as 1472. A confusion between himself and his father on the part of many of his recent biographers has been the main cause of their perplexity. " 2 Early History of the Cabott familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cabott research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1483, 1497, 1498 and 1557 are included under the topic Early Cabott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cabott Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Cabot, Cabott, Chabot and others. Early Notables of the Cabott familyMore information is included under the topic Early Cabott Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Cabott familyTo escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Cabott or a variant listed above: Sebastien Cabot who settled in Maine in 1498; Antoine Cabot arrived in Louisiana in 1756; Stephen Cabot arrived in Philadelphia in 1821.
- 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
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