Caters History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Caters

What does the name Caters mean?

The family name Caters is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon names of Britain. It was originally a name for a person who worked as a caterer. The surname Caters was an official name, "the cater," derived from the Old French ale catour, a title meaning a buyer of groceries for the gentleman's house. They were in charge of maintaining provisions in manors and castles. The cater's job assumed a great importance during extended sieges of his lord's castle, which could last for years.

Early Origins of the Caters family

The surname Caters was first found in Berkshire, 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. William le Catur who was documented in the year 1273 in Essex and a few years later, Bernard le Acatour was listed in 1300 in Somerset. William Katerer was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379.

Early History of the Caters family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caters research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1150 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Caters History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caters Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Caters include Cater, Cator, Cather, Catter, Cader and others.

Early Notables of the Caters family

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

Caters migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Caters Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Pierre Joseph Caters, who arrived in New York in 1853 1

Sources +

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)