Ottawa History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Ottawa name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the region of Ottway. Ottawa 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 Ottawa family

The surname Ottawa 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 Ottawa family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ottawa 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 Ottawa History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ottawa Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Ottawa has undergone many spelling variations, including Otway, Ottway, Ottaway, Otaway, Otawa and others.

Early Notables of the Ottawa family

Notables 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...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ottawa Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ottawa family to Ireland

Some of the Ottawa family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 104 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ottawa migration to Canada +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Ottawa were among those contributors:

Ottawa Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mykyta Ottawa, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1897

The Ottawa 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: Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos
Motto Translation: If God be with us who can be against us?.