Tait History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England-Alt 
  England 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


The Tait 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 Tait family

The surname Tait 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 Tait family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tait 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 Tait History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tait Spelling Variations

Spelling rules only evolved in the last few centuries with the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries. Spelling variations are extremely common in names from before that period. Tait has been spelled Tait, Tate, Tayte, Taite and others.

Early Notables of the Tait family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Tait World Ranking

In the United States, the name Tait is the 5,976th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Tait is ranked the 938th most popular surname with an estimated 5,790 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Tait is the 619th popular surname with an estimated 6,282 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks Tait as 284th with 2,149 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Tait as 565th with 11,518 people. 6

Migration of the Tait family to Ireland

Some of the Tait 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.


Tait migration to the United States +

After making their great crossing, many Boernician-Scottish families settled along the east coast of North America. When the War of Independence broke out, United Empire Loyalists moved north to Canada while the rest stayed to fight. The ancestors of many of these Scots still populate the continent. This century, through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations, they began to rediscover their collective national heritage. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Tait or a variant listed above:

Tait Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Tait Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Tait Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Tait migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tait Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Tait Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
Tait Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Tait migration to Australia +

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

Tait Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Tait 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:

Tait Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Tait (post 1700) +
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