Kettleby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Kettleby date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Kettleby family lived in Kettleby, a place-name found in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Kettleby family

The surname Kettleby was first found in Leicestershire, at Ab Kettleby, a village and civil parish in the Melton district that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Chetelbi. 1

A Roman mosaic and pavement were found beneath the present St. James churchyard, indicating the presence of a villa at that time. And inside St. James Church there is a Norman font, and a memorial to Everard Digby of the Gunpowder Plot.

By 1236, records show the place name was listed as Abeketleby which included the Latin word "ab" which means "from." The place name literally means "farmstead or village of a man called Ketil," from the Old Scandinavian personal name + "by." 2

Kettleby is also a deserted medieval village in Lincolnshire about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Bigby village and this village was also listed in the Domesday Book as two manors: Kettleby, which was held by Ralph, nephew of Geoffrey Alselin, and Kettleby Thorpe, which was held by Gilbert. Kettleby Hall was later thought to have been a moated hunting lodge built in the reign of James I.

Early History of the Kettleby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kettleby research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1205, 1513, 1589, 1604, 1652 and 1688 are included under the topic Early Kettleby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kettleby Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Kettleby are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Kettleby include: Kettleby, Kettlebie, Ketelbi, Ketylby, Ketilby and others.

Early Notables of the Kettleby family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Francis Kettleby, Knight, a prominent figure during the 16th century

Kettleby migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Kettleby or a variant listed above:

Kettleby Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Kettleby, who settled in America in 1767

Kettleby migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kettleby Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Maria Kettleby, who arrived in Ontario in 1871

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)