Belts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Belts comes from when its first bearer worked as a beltmaker.

Early Origins of the Belts family

The surname Belts was first found in Essex, where Arnold and Robert Belt(e) were first listed in the Feet of Fines in 1203. Years later, Benedict le beleter was listed in the Freemans Rolls of Yorkshire in 1295. 1

Early History of the Belts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belts research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Belts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Belts 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 Belts include Belt, Beltie, Belts and others.

Early Notables of the Belts family

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

Belts migration to the United States +

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 Belts or a variant listed above:

Belts Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Belts, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Leenart Belts, who landed in New York in 1709 2

Belts Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anthony Belts, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1838 2

Belts migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Belts Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Stephen Belts, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Candahar" in 1851 3

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CANDAHAR 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Candahar.htm