Athaway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Athaway is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that is derived from the Old German personal names Hathuwic or Hadewic, or from the Old English personal name Heathuwig, which means war-warrior. 1

Early Origins of the Athaway family

The surname Athaway was first found in Herefordshire where Hadeuui was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 2 For the next hundred years or so, only surnames were used so it is not surprising to see the next entry, that of Hathewi in the Pipe Rolls of Worcester in 1175. 1

Again in Herefordshire, William Hatewi, Hadewi, Hathewy were listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1178 and 1181. Nigel Haðewi was found in the Gloucestershire Pipe Rolls of 1208 and Thomas Hatheweye was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1380. 1

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included Willelmus de Haythewy. 3

Moving further to the north in Scotland, "Alexander Hathwy appears as a witness in Linlithgow in 1444 and 1465, and Robert Hadowy was burgess of Lychtcow (Linlithgow), 1460." 4

Anne Hathaway (1556-1623), the wife of William Shakespeare is thought to have been born in Shottery, a village just to the west of Stratford-upon-Avon where her father, Richard Hathaway, a yeoman farmer died in September 1581.

Early History of the Athaway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Athaway research. Another 191 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1502, 1503, 1582, 1600, 1602, 1607, 1621, 1622, 1626, 1633, 1646, 1656, 1665, 1700, 1701, 1702 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Athaway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Athaway Spelling Variations

Athaway 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 Athaway have been found, including Hathaway, Hatheway, Hathoway, Hathway and others.

Early Notables of the Athaway family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Richard Hathaway (fl. 1702), an English impostor, a blacksmith's apprentice of Southwark. "In February 1700 he gave out that he was bewitched by an old woman named Sarah Morduck, the wife of a waterma...
Richard Hathaway (fl. 1602), was a dramatist, "probably a native of Warwickshire. Several families of the name resided in the sixteenth century at Stratford-on-Avon and its immediate neighbourhood. Sh...

Athaway migration to the United States +

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 Athaways to arrive on North American shores:

Athaway Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Athaway, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 5

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
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)