Fleete History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Fleete is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived near a creek, perhaps with a wood nearby. Fleet is derived from the Old English word fleot, for a rapidly rushing stream. The suffix "wood" was probably added to the name later. 1

Early Origins of the Fleete family

The surname Fleete was first found in Lincolnshire at Fleet, a parish, in the union of Holbeach, hundred of Elloe, parts of Holland. 2 There are other villages and parishes named Fleet in Dorset and Hampshire, but this parish is the oldest as it was listed as Fleot in the Domesday Book of 1086. 3

Fleet Street in London which is named after the River Fleet, London's largest underground river is probably the most famous use of the word "fleet." This street was the home of British national newspapers until the 1980s. Fleet Prison, built in 1197 was a notorious London prison adjacent to the River Fleet and was active until 1844 and later demolished in 1846.

As far as the surname is concerned, the first records were listed in Lincolnshire in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: John de Flete; Richard de Flet; and Laurence de Flete. 4

Early History of the Fleete family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fleete research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1421, 1465, 1648, 1688, 1689, 1692, 1700 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Fleete History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fleete Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Fleete has been spelled many different ways, including Fleet, Fleete, Flete and others.

Early Notables of the Fleete family

Distinguished members of the family include John Flete (fl. 1421-1465), a Benedictine monk, prior of Westminster Abbey in the reign of Henry VI, and the author of a Latin chronicle of the early history of that foundation, entered the monastery of St. Peter's, Westminster, about 1421. 5Sir John Fleet (1648-1712), the son of the innkeeper Richard...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fleete Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fleete migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Fleetes to arrive in North America:

Fleete Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Henry Fleete, (c. 1602 - c. 1661) who arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove" he boarded in Virginia and may have already been in America since 1621 6
Robert Fleete, who landed in Virginia in 1643 6
Roger Fleete, who arrived in Maryland in 1670 6

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)