Attinton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Attinton family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in one of several places named Addington in the counties of Devon, Kent, Surrey, Northamptonshire, and Buckinghamshire. The manor in Addington in Surrey has an interesting story to tell. "The manor is held by the singular tenure of making and presenting to the king, at his coronation, a mess of pottage called mewpergynon; subject to the performance of which, a carucate of land here was granted to Tezelin, cook to William the Conqueror." 1

Early Origins of the Attinton family

The surname Attinton was first found in any of the aforementioned counties in Britain. Due to the rather large number of villages and parishes named Addington, one would presume that the name was derived from a local feature such as a hill or valley, but this in not the case. Literally the place name means "estate associated with a man called Eadda or Aeddi," from the Old English personal name + "-ing" + "tun." 2

Indeed there are at least four listings of the place name in the Domesday Book of 1086: Edintone (Buckinghamshire); Eddintone (Greater London); Eddintune (Kent); and Edintone (Northamptonshire.) 3

Some of the first listings of the surname include: William de Adinton in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1176; Hugh de Adinton in the Assize Rolls of 1202; and Gilbert de Adintun who was listed in Surrey in 1226. 4

Early History of the Attinton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Attinton research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1644 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Attinton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Attinton Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Attinton include Addington, Adington, Adinton, Addinton and others.

Early Notables of the Attinton family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Attinton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Attinton family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Attinton or a variant listed above: Jonathon Addington who settled in Virginia in 1639; Benjamin also settled in Virginia in 1663; Laurence Addington in Barbados 1684.

The Attinton 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: Libertas sub Rege Pio
Motto Translation: Liberty under a pious King.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)