Show ContentsCatys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Catys family

The surname Catys was first found in Yorkshire where the name is generally understood to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Cada. 1 But another source claims the name is Norman in origin as references there note that Arnulf Cades paid a fine in Normandy for disseisin in 1184. The same name also appears in 1198 under different circumstances. 2

The Pipe Rolls of 1189 list Eustace Cade as holding lands in Lincolnshire at that time. 3 And Shakespeare included John at the Cade (a reference to the old English word for a barrel or cask) in Henry VI, Act IV, Scene II. 4

Early History of the Catys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Catys research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1155, 1380, 1450, 1527, 1583, 1660 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Catys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Catys Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Catys has been recorded under many different variations, including Cade, Cady, Cadye, Kadye, Caddy, Caddey, Kade, Kady and many more.

Early Notables of the Catys family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Caddy of Buckland Brewer; and Jack Cade (d. 1450), English rebel from Kent who led an unsuccessful rebellion with an army of over 5,000 against King Henry VI, he had a bounty on his head of 1,000 marks and was killed attempting to flee. "He was an Irishman by birth, and is spoken of as a young man at the time of his rebellion; but nothing is known of his personal history till a year before that date. He was then living in the household of Sir Thomas Dacre in Sussex...
Another 181 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Catys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Catys family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Catys or a variant listed above: Ellen Cady who settled in Boston in 1850; William Caddy settled in Barbados in 1634; George Caddy settled in New York in 1841.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print


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