Show ContentsMitind History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Mitind is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mitind family lived in Mitton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Moutons, in Calvados, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. [1]

Early Origins of the Mitind family

The surname Mitind was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire, but partly in Lancashire. The parish of Little Mitton in Lancashire played an important role in the family's lineage. "It gave name as early as the time of Richard I. to a knightly family, of whom Sir Ralphe de Little Mitton is mentioned in the Townley MSS." [2]

"Aighton [in Lancashire], under the name of Halghton, was granted by Ilbert de Lacy, prior to 1102, with other lands, to a family who is supposed to have taken the surname of Mitton." [2]

Literally the place name of Mitton means "farmstead where two rivers join," from the Old English words "mythe" + "tun." Great Mitton and Little Mitton collectively date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where they were first listed as Mitune. [3] Today, they are both in Lancashire, but historically they were in Yorkshire.

One of the first records of the family was Alan and Jordan de Mitton who were listed in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219 and then again in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. [4]

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Adam de Mytton and Johannes de Mytton, sutor. [5]

Early History of the Mitind family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mitind research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1373, 1558, 1565, 1570, 1586, 1597, 1604, 1615, 1616, 1624, 1629, 1637, 1656, 1666, 1796 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Mitind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mitind Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Mytton, Mutton, Myreton, Myrton, Mouton, Myttins, Mitton and many more.

Early Notables of the Mitind family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Peter Mutton (1565-1637), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1604 and 1624; and Thomas Mytton (c.1597-1656), a parliamentarian general of the English Civil War. He was born about 1597, son of Richard Mytton of Halston, Shropshire, by Margaret, daughter of Thomas Owen of Condover, matriculated at Balliol College, Oxford, on 11 May 1615, aged 18. He became a student of Lincoln's Inn in 1616. In 1629 Mytton married Magdalen, daughter of Sir Robert Napier of Luton, Bedfordshire, and sister of the second wife of Sir...
Another 205 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mitind Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mitind family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Mitind or a variant listed above: Kathleen Mutton, who settled in Virginia in 1648 with her sister Mary; Richard Mutton, who arrived in Virginia in 1606; fourteen years before the ".



  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook