EnglandThe 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.
The surname Attwater was first found in Lincolnshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Attwater research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1514, 1521, 1440, 1521 and 1440 are included under the topic Early Attwater History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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.
Notables of the family at this time include William Attwater, (1440-1521), Bishop of Lincoln, who was, according to his epitaph, born about 1440. "A family of...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Attwater Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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:
