Show ContentsBettam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Bettam name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the Pas-de-Calais region of Normandy here the family lived before coming to England with the Norman Conquest and settling in the county of Essex. Other records show the name could have been a baptismal name derived from the expression the son of Beatrice from the nickname Bete.

Early Origins of the Bettam family

The surname Bettam was first found in Shropshire, where "Walter De Betton had a freehold estate at Betton-Strange, near Shrewsbury, in the reign of Edward I. William Betton, fourth in descent from Walter, was seated at Great Berwick prior to the reign of Henry IV." 1 Betton Strange is today a hamlet in the civil parish of Berrington and home to Betton Strange Hall which was built in the 1800s.

Early History of the Bettam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bettam research. Another 230 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1316, 1327, 1379, 1397, 1399, 1543, 1582, 1583, 1598, 1620, 1625, 1661 and 1779 are included under the topic Early Bettam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bettam Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Bettam has undergone many spelling variations, including Bettin, Bettinson, Betin, Betun, Betonessone, Betissone, Betonson, Bittinson, Bettine, Betenson, Bettenson, Bettinsoonne, Betinson and many more.

Early Notables of the Bettam family

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


United States Bettam migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bettam were among those contributors:

Bettam Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Bettam, who arrived in Maryland in 1637 2


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. 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)


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