Show ContentsCoitter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Although Ireland already had an established system of hereditary surnames, the Strongbownians brought many of their own naming traditions to the island. There were, however, similarities between the two systems. The Strongbownians, like the Irish, frequently used patronymic surnames, a form of surname that was built from the name of the initial bearer's father, or another older relative. Norman patronymic names, because they were originally formed in French, were often created by the addition of a diminutive suffix to the given name, such as -ot, -et, -un, -in, or -el. Occasionally, two suffixes were combined to form a double diminutive, as in the combinations of -el-in, -el-ot, -in-ot, and -et-in. These Stronbownians also created patronymic names by the prefix Fitz-, which was derived from the French word fils, and ultimately from the Latin filius, which both mean son. This prefix probably originated in Flanders or Normandy, it has disappeared from France entirely but remains common in Ireland even today. The Strongbownian surname of Coitter is derived from the popular Norse personal name Oitir. The Gaelic forms of the surname Coitter are Mac Coitir and Mac Oitir.

Early Origins of the Coitter family

The surname Coitter was first found in Oxfordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Coitter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coitter research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1630, 1689, 1705, 1720, 1754, 1763, 1831 and 1884 are included under the topic Early Coitter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coitter Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a single person often had their name recorded by church officials and scribes many different ways. Names were typically spelt as they sounded, which resulted in many different spelling variations. The many versions of the name Coitter to have been recorded over the years include: Cotter, Cotters, Cottar, Cottare, Cotteres, Cottares, Coitter and many more.

Early Notables of the Coitter family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Sir James Fitz Edmond Cotter (c.1630-1705) Irish soldier, colonial governor and the commander-in-chief of King James's forces, in the Irish Counties of Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Coitter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Coitter family

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Coitter: James Cotter who settled in Bay De Verde, Newfoundland, in 1783; John Cotter settled in Boston in 1764 with his wife Elizabeth; Edward Cotter settled in New York, with his wife and four children in 1823.



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