Attwater History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Attwater

What does the name Attwater mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Attwater comes from when the family resided near water. This name is derived from the medieval preposition atte, which means near or at and the word waeter, which means water.

Early Origins of the Attwater family

The surname Attwater was first found in Lincolnshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Attwater family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Attwater research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1440, 1514 and 1521 are included under the topic Early Attwater History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Attwater Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Attwater has been recorded under many different variations, including Attwater, Atwater, Attewater and others.

Early Notables of the Attwater family

William Attwater, (1440-1521), Bishop of Lincoln, who was, according to his epitaph, born about 1440...
A family of the name was resident near Downton, in Wiltshire, and a Philemon Attwater and a William Attwater held property in the neighbourhood in the eighteenth century...

Attwater migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Attwater or a variant listed above:

Attwater Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joshua Attwater who settled in New Haven, Conn. in 1620

Attwater Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margaret Attwater who settled in New York State in 1725

Attwater Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Matthew Attwater, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1852

Contemporary Notables of the name Attwater (post 1700) +

Henry Philemon Attwater (1854-1931), English-born, North American naturalist and conservationist, Director of the National Audubon Society from 1900 to 1910, eponym of numerous subspecies
Russell Attwater, American politician, Member of New York State Senate, 1812-16 1
Samuel "Sam" Attwater (b. 1986), English actor and singer best known for his role in the British soap opera EastEnders
Dr. John Spencer Attwater, American Internist from Georgia

Sources +

The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html