Show ContentsGatlen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Gatlen originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the Old French names Caterine and Cateline, which were forms of the personal name Catharine. These names were introduced into England in the 12th century and became very popular, especially in the variant forms Catelin and Cateline. Thus the surname Gatlen is a metronymic type of surname, and is derived from the name of the original bearer's mother.

Early Origins of the Gatlen family

The surname Gatlen was first found in Wiltshire. Some of the first records of the family were found her in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 that included early spelling of the name: Geoffrey Gatelin; and Johanna Gatelyn. 1

Richard Jordan Gatling (1818-1903) was the American inventor of his eponymous Gatling gun, considered to be the first successful machine gun that first saw service in 1862. Born on the family plantation in Como, Hertford County, North Carolina, he was a successful inventor by the age of 21 inventing the screw propeller for steamboats. His grandfather William James Gatling (1760-1822), was from Virginia.

Early History of the Gatlen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatlen research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1545, 1547, 1556, 1559, 1574, 1583, 1625, 1634, 1640, 1644, 1662, 1679, 1685, 1689 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Gatlen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gatlen Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Gatlen has appeared include Catlin, Catling, Catlyn, Catlyne, Catlyng and others.

Early Notables of the Gatlen family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Robert Catlin (died 1574), English jurist, Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench (1559-1574). He was born at Beby in Leicestershire, though his ancestry is said to have belonged to Northamptonshire. He was a member of the Middle Temple, and was appointed reader to that society in 1547. 2 Richard Catlyn (by 1520-1556), of Norwich and Honingham, Norfolk and Serjeants' Inn...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gatlen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gatlen family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Gatlen arrived in North America very early: William Catline who settled in Barbados in 1679 with his wife and servants; James Catling, who settled in New England in 1769; Michael Catling, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1854.



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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