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Yeats History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Yeats History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The Yeats name comes from the old English "geat," and was probably first used as a name for a keeper of a gate.

Early Origins of the Yeats family

The surname Yeats was first found in Gloucestershire, England where they were first on record in 1198. The name spread throughout England and Scotland, and possibly arrived in Ireland in the wake of the Norman invasion of 1172. Bearers of this name definitely came from Britain to Ireland with Cromwell's Adventurers for Land in the 17th century.

"The famous family of Yeats, which had formerly been in Dublin, settled in Co. Sligo at the end of the seventeenth century. There are a number of families of Yates and Yeates elsewhere unconnected with them. " 1

Early History of the Yeats family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yeats research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1675, 1712, 1839 and 1922 are included under the topic Early Yeats History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yeats Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Yates, Yate, Yeats and others.

Early Notables of the Yeats family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

John Butler Yeats (1839-1922), artist and father the poet William Butler Yeats and artist Jack Butler Yeats

Yeats migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Yeats Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Leonard Yeats, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 2

Yeats Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Geo Yeats, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 2
Robert Yeats, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 2
William Yeats, who arrived in Oxford, Maryland in 1747 2

Yeats Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edward Yeats, aged 31, who landed in New York in 1801 2
John Yeats, who arrived in Tennessee in 1848 2
Charles Yeats, aged 6, who arrived in New York in 1854 2
James Yeats, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1854 2
William Yeats, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1854 2

Yeats migration to Australia +

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

Yeats Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Yeats, a mason, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
George Yeats, his wife and 2 children arrived in Port Adelaide aboard the ship "Apolline" in 1840 3
George Yeats, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Apolline" in 1840 3
Mary Yeats, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Bruce" in 1846 4
Henry Yeats, aged 39, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Trafalgar" 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Yeats migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Yeats Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Yeats, aged 23, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Yeats (post 1700) +

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), Irish poet, dramatist, mystic and public figure, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923
Grant David Yeats (1773-1836), American medical writer, born in Florida, the son of David Yeats, a physician of East Florida
Michael Yeats (b. 1921), Irish Fianna Fáil politician
Anne Yeats (1919-2001), Irish painter, stage designer
John Butler Yeats (1870-1957), birth name of Jack B Yeats, the Irish artist and Olympic medalist, brother of W. B. Yeats
Matthew Yeats (b. 1979), Canadian hockey goaltender
Ronald Yeats (b. 1937), English football player and captain
Elizabet Corbet Yeats (1868-1940), art teacher and publisher
Susan Mary Yeats (1866-1949), art teacher, involved in the Arts and Crafts Movement
William Yeats Hurlstone (1876-1906), British musical composer and pianist

Historic Events for the Yeats family +

USS Arizona

Mr. Charles Yeats Jr., American Coxswain from Illinois, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 6

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) APOLLINE 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Apolline.gif
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY BRUCE 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846LadyBruce.htm
South Australian Register Thursday 29th June 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Trafalgar 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/trafalgar1854.shtml
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html