Show ContentsKitter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In ancient Scotland, the first people to use Kitter as a surname were the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name someone who lived in Norfolk, England; or the name may also be from Chetel, an Old Norse and Old English given name.

Early Origins of the Kitter family

The surname Kitter was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Kitter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kitter research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1403, 1597 and 1633 are included under the topic Early Kitter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kitter Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Kitter has been spelled Catto, Cattoch, Cattow, Kitto, Citto, Chatto, Chattoch, Chetto, Cato and many more.

Early Notables of the Kitter family

More information is included under the topic Early Kitter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Kitter migration to the United States +

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Kitter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Kitter, who arrived in Maryland in 1656 1
Kitter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jurigh Kitter, aged 37, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
  • Piter Kitter, aged 45, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
Kitter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J Kitter, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 1


The Kitter Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Omnibus amicus
Motto Translation: A friend to everyone.


  1. 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)


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