Bitting is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Bitting comes from the Old English given name Batte, a pet form of Bartholomew.
The surname Bitting was first found in Somerset, where the “family of Batten have been seated for nearly six centuries. They are considered of Flemish origin. Among eminent merchants of the staple (wool-trade) temp. Edward I., were several De Beteyns and Batyns.” [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bitting research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1500, 1600, 1600, 1667, 1661, 1667, 1687, 1743, 1720 and 1630 are included under the topic Early Bitting History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Bitting are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bitting include Batten, Battin, Battyne, Baten, Batin, Batton and many more.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Batten (c. 1600-1667), an English naval officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1667; and Henry Beighton (1687-1743), an English engineer and surveyor...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bitting Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Bitting, or a variant listed above: