Origins Available: English,
Irish
The ancestry of the name Abbett can be traced back to the
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a name for a superior of a monastery, an Abbot. The name Abbett may also be a
nickname applied to someone who played the part of an abbot in a medieval pageant, or to a person thought to be particularly pious and devout.
Early Origins of the Abbett family
The surname Abbett was first found in the counties of
Oxfordshire,
Huntingdon,
Bedfordshire and Cambridge from very ancient times. The family was in this area before the
Norman Conquest of
England by Duke William of
Normandy in 1066 AD Alfwoldus Abbas (1111-1117,) is one such example of a man who was a holder of the monasterial office of Abbot. It is also assumed that the name may have been a source of several more surnames at a later date. Walter Abat was recorded in The Assize Rolls for
Yorkshire in 1219. Peter le Abbot (the Abbot) of
Essex is documented in the records of the Hornchurch priory, and is also mention of Ralph Abbod in the Assize Rolls for
Somerset in 1272.
Early History of the Abbett family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abbett research.
Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1306, 1577, 1912, 1562, 1633, 1612 and 1633 are included under the topic Early Abbett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Abbett Spelling Variations
Abbett has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few
hundred years,
spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Abbett have been found, including Abbott, Abbot, Abbotts, Abbett, Abbet, Abott and others.
Early Notables of the Abbett family (pre 1700)
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Abbett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Abbett family to Ireland
Some of the Abbett family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 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 Abbett family to the New World and Oceana
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in
England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Abbetts to arrive on North American shores:
Abbett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Thomas Abbett, who landed in Maryland in 1649 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Elizabeth Abbett, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Jane Abbett, who landed in Maryland in 1665 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Samuel Abbett Jr., who landed in Maryland in 1665 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Samuel Abbett Sr., who arrived in Maryland in 1665 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Abbett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Robert Abbett, who arrived in Indiana in 1854 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Contemporary Notables of the name Abbett (post 1700)
- Leon Abbett (1835-1894), American Democratic Party politician, and lawyer, 26th Governor of New Jersey (1884-1887), co-founder of Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC is an independent, privately held U.S. investment management firm in 1929
- Robert Kennedy "Bob" Abbett (b. 1926), American artist and illustrator for Ballantine Books, Pyramid Books and Ace Books
- Leon Abbett (1867-1928), American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1899-1901 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, September 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Leon Abbett (1836-1894), American Democrat politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1865-66, 1869-70; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1872, 1876 (delegation chair), 1884, 1888 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, September 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Edwin L. Abbett, American Democrat politician, County Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 6th District, 1890 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, September 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Abbett 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: Deo patria amicis
Motto Translation: A friend to God and my country.