Tayte History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England-Alt
England
Scotland
Ireland

The Tayte surname is generally thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "teitr," meaning "cheerful." According to the Venerable Bede, Tate was used as a nickname for Ethelberga daughter of Ethelbert, king of Kent. 1 Some sources suggest that its origins are quite distinct from the Old English roots of Tate.

Early Origins of the Tayte family

The surname Tayte was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times. One of the first records of the name was Thomas dictus Tayt in 1329 who was listed as having a debt to the king at that time. There are several recorded instances of payments to a John Tayt, clerk of the hospital of Montrose, between 1362-70. Alexander Tayt was burgess of Edinburgh in 1381. Adam Tayte had a safe conduct to travel in England in 1424. 1

Early History of the Tayte family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tayte research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1381, 1424, 1432, 1490, 1492, 1531, 1567, 1575, 1597, 1605, 1626, 1652, 1666, 1692, 1715 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Tayte History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tayte Spelling Variations

In the many years before the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries, names and other words were spelled according to sound, often differently with each person who wrote them. Spelling variations of Tayte include Tait, Tate, Tayte, Taite and others.

Early Notables of the Tayte family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Princess Tait of Kent; Faithful Teate (c.1626-1666) Irish Protestant clergyman and poet from County Cavan, Ireland, sometimes known as Faithful Tate or Faithfull Teate; and...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tayte Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tayte family to Ireland

Some of the Tayte family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 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 Tayte family

In many cases, the ancestors of many of these Boernician-Scottish people are just now learning of their Scottish heritage. Since the trip was so arduous, and many were fleeing from poverty itself, settlers brought little with them and often had nothing of their personal history to hand down to their children. Clan societies and highland games have helped to correct this problem in the 20th century. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Taytes to arrive on North American shores: Edward Tate, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630; James and Mary Tate, who came to Barbados in 1635; Thomas Tate, who settled in Virginia in 1635.

Contemporary Notables of the name Tayte (post 1700) +

Tayte Pears (b. 1990), Australian rules footballer

Citations +

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)