Attworthay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Attworthay family

The surname Attworthay was first found in Wiltshire at Atworth, a tything and chapelry, in the parish of Great Bradford, union and hundred of Bradford that dates back to 1001 when it was listed as Attenwrthe. The place name literally means "enclosure or a man called Atta," from the Old English personal name + "worth." 1 An ancient Roman villa was located here and is one of six within approximately a three-mile radius. As far as the surname is concerned, the first records were found on the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 where Geoffery de Attewurth and William de Attewurthe were both listed in Wiltshire. 2

Early History of the Attworthay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Attworthay research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Attworthay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Attworthay 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 Attworthay include Atworth, Attworth, Attworthy, Atworthe, Atworthy, Atworthy, Atteworth and many more.

Early Notables of the Attworthay family

More information is included under the topic Early Attworthay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Attworthay 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 Attworthay or a variant listed above: H. G. Atworthy, aged 27, who arrived at Ellis Island, in 1921.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)