Cat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England

Etymology of Cat

What does the name Cat mean?

Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the name Cat was first found in Britina. It was a name for a person who has a fancied resemblance to a cat. The name stems from the Old Northern French cat, of the same meaning, which occurs in many languages in the same form from a very early period.

Early Origins of the Cat family

The surname Cat was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Cat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cat research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cat Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Cat 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 Cat include Catt, Cat, Catts, Ketts, Chatt, Chat and others.

Early Notables of the Cat family

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

Cat migration to Canada +

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 Cat, or a variant listed above:

Cat Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Cat, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Contemporary Notables of the name Cat (post 1700) +

Dao Nguyen Cát (1927-2023), Vietnamese economist, professor and journalist
Cat Jahnke (b. 1980), Canadian singer-songwriter