Catow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Catow

What does the name Catow mean?

In ancient Scotland, the first people to use Catow as a surname were the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name someone who lived in Norfolk, England; or the name may also be from Chetel, an Old Norse and Old English given name.

Early Origins of the Catow family

The surname Catow was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Catow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Catow research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1403, 1597 and 1633 are included under the topic Early Catow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Catow Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Catow has been spelled Catto, Cattoch, Cattow, Kitto, Citto, Chatto, Chattoch, Chetto, Cato and many more.

Early Notables of the Catow family

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

Migration of the Catow family

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them: James Catto who settled in Maryland in 1775; John Catto arrived in Philadelphia in 1754; William Catto arrived in Nevis in 1775.

The Catow 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: Omnibus amicus
Motto Translation: A friend to everyone.