The ancient history of the Caten name begins with the ancient
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in Yorkshire.
Early Origins of the Caten family
The surname Caten was first found in
Norfolk where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Caten family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caten research.
Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1636 and 1665 are included under the topic Early Caten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Caten 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 Caten include Caton, Catton, Cattan, Catten, Caten and others.
Early Notables of the Caten family (pre 1700)
Another 16 words (1 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Caten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Caten family to the New World and Oceana
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 Caten or a variant listed above:
Caten Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Mary Caten, who landed in Maryland in 1674 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
The Caten Motto
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Cautes metuit fovean lupus
Motto Translation: The cautious wolf fears the snare.