Oatawa History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe history of the Oatawa family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the region of Ottway. Oatawa is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Oatawa familyThe surname Oatawa was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Early History of the Oatawa familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oatawa research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1615, 1652, 1671, 1680, 1682, 1685, 1692 and 1693 are included under the topic Early Oatawa History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Oatawa Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Oatawa include Otway, Ottway, Ottaway, Otaway, Otawa and others. Early Notables of the Oatawa familyNotables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Otway; and Thomas Otway (1652-1685), an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for Venice Preserv'd, or... Migration of the Oatawa family to IrelandSome of the Oatawa family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Oatawa familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Oatawa or a variant listed above: Thomas Ottway who settled in Virginia in 1623; James Otway arrived in New York in 1823 with his wife and five children, and his brother William; W.B. Otway settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1852..
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: Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos Motto Translation: If God be with us who can be against us?. |