Ottray History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Ottray family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the region of Ottway. Ottray 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 Ottray family

The surname Ottray 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 Ottray family

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

Ottray Spelling Variations

Until 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 Ottray include Otway, Ottway, Ottaway, Otaway, Otawa and others.

Early Notables of the Ottray 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 Ottray Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ottray family to Ireland

Some of the Ottray 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.

Migration of the Ottray family

Searching 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 Ottray 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 Ottray 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?.