Tregaritch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The illustrious surname Tregaritch finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Tregaritch is a local type of surname and the Tregaritch family lived in the county of Cornwall a the manor of Tregarrick.

Early Origins of the Tregaritch family

The surname Tregaritch was first found in Cornwall where they were anciently Lords of the Manor of Tregarrick in the parish of Roche in that shire.

"Tregarrick [in the parish of St. Keverne], which was formerly deemed a manor, belonged at a very early period to a family of the same name. On the extinction of the male branches, this property passed in marriage to Trenowth, a co-heiress of which family married Boscawen, and brought with her this estate." 1

Early History of the Tregaritch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tregaritch research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1334 and 1620 are included under the topic Early Tregaritch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tregaritch Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Tregarrik, Tregarrick, Tregarrock, Tregarick and many more.

Early Notables of the Tregaritch family

More information is included under the topic Early Tregaritch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tregaritch family

An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Tregaritch: William Tregarock who landed in North America in 1705.

Citations +

Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print