Catingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Catingham family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in either of two places called Cottingham. One was a parish near Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and the other is a parish located two miles from Rockingham in the county of Northampton. Thus, the surname Catingham belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Catingham family

The surname Catingham was first found in Yorkshire at Cottingham, a village and civil parish in the East Riding which dates back to the Domesday Book when it was listed as Cotingeham. "This place is of considerable antiquity, and was known as of some importance when Domesday Book was compiled. Leland, in his Collectanea, states that William d'Estoteville or Stuteville, Sheriff of Yorkshire, entertained King John here, and obtained from that monarch, in the year 1200, permission to hold a market and fair, and to embattle and fortify his residence." 1

The place name literally means "homestead of the family or followers of a man called Cott or Cotta" derived from the Old English personal name + inga + ham. 2

Baynard Castle, sometimes named "castle at Cottingham" or "Stuteville's castle" was a moated castle built in the 12th and 13th centuries in the village. Sarum Manor is located in the southern half of the ruins of castle. The Northamptonshire Cottingham was similarly listed with the same spelling in the Domesday Book. 3

"A massive ring of pure gold was found in 1841, on the borders of Rockingham Forest, apparently of great antiquity, and in good preservation; it is inscribed in Saxon characters with legends supposed to be of talismanic character, and was probably worn as an amulet." 1

One of the first records of the name was Robertus de Cotyngham who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Early History of the Catingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Catingham research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1349, 1350, 1356, 1370, 1578, 1579, 1631, 1635 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Catingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Catingham 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 Catingham include Cottingham, Cotingham, Cattingham, Catingham and others.

Early Notables of the Catingham family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas de Cottingham (c. 1300-1370), an English cleric and judge ho toook his name from his birth place at Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire, Keeper of the Great Seal in 1349 and Master of the Rolls in Ireland in 1356; Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington (ca...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Catingham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Catingham family

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 Catingham or a variant listed above: Catherine Cottingham, who arrived in Jamaica in 1679; Samuel Cottingham arrived in Philadelphia in 1856; Septimus, Thomas, and Edward, Cottingham, all arrived in Philadelphia in 1870..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)