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 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 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 (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Attwater Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Attwater family to the New World and Oceana
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]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - 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