Show ContentsStitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Stitt surname is generally thought to derive from the Middle English word "stott," meaning a "steer," or "bull." 1

As such it was likely originally an occupational name for a cattleman, or perhaps a nickname. Some instances of the name in Scotland may have come from the Viking name Stoti, which likely arrived with the 9th century Norse colonization of Strathclyde and Aberdeenshire.

Early Origins of the Stitt family

The surname Stitt was first found in Yorkshire, but by the 15th century some of the family name had moved north to Aberdeenshire where Andrew Stott was a burgess there in 1490. Later, Margaret Stote held a family seat in Dolphinstoun in Lanarkshire in 1675, and Alexander Stote held a family seat in Maynes in Balyeordie in Renfrewshire in 1689. 2

Early History of the Stitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stitt research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1634, 1649, 1651, 1656, 1691, 1741, 1768 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Stitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stitt Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Stot, Stott, Stite, Stites and others.

Early Notables of the Stitt family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Stith (fl. 1656-1691) from Kirkham in Lancashire, emigrated to America where he became a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and the progenitor...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stitt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stitt Ranking

In the United States, the name Stitt is the 4,377th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Ireland Migration of the Stitt family to Ireland

Some of the Stitt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Stitt migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stitt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Stitt, who landed in America in 1805 4
  • Luke Stitt, who arrived in New York in 1819 4
  • David Stitt, who arrived in Indiana in 1852 4
  • James Stitt, who landed in Indiana in 1852 4

Australia Stitt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Stitt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Martha Stitt, aged 34, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Constance" 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Stitt (post 1700) +

  • Don Stitt (b. 1956), American actor and playwright
  • Georgia Stitt (b. 1972), American composer and lyricist, arranger, conductor, and musical director
  • Milan Stitt (1941-2009), American playwright and educator
  • Sam Stitt (b. 1981), American rower at the 2008 Summer Olympics
  • Edward "Sonny" Stitt (1924-1982), born Edward Boatner, Jr., American jazz musician, nicknamed the "Lone Wolf"
  • William Stitt, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 25th District, 1890 6
  • Theodore Stitt, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 18th District, 1920-21; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1932 6
  • Mark L. Stitt, American Republican politician, Chair of Juniata County Republican Party, 1927 6
  • John A. Stitt, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1940 6
  • Frank B. Stitt, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1912 6
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Fitzwilliam Stitt (1886-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 7
  • Mrs. Clara Bell Stitt (1886-1914), née Cofield Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 7
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. B Stitt, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 8


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Constance.htm
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  8. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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