Show ContentsChitty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Chitty family

The surname Chitty was first found in Northampton where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1273 when Nicholas Kitte held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Chitty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chitty research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1455, 1487 and 1580 are included under the topic Early Chitty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chitty Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Chitty, Chittie, Chyttie, Chytty, Kitty, Kittie, Chitterling, Kitterling, Chitterly, Kitterly, Chytterly, Chitter and many more.

Early Notables of the Chitty family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Chitty of Northampton

Chitty Ranking

In the United States, the name Chitty is the 14,952nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Chitty migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chitty Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Abraham Chitty, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 2
Chitty Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • George Chitty, who landed in America in 1760-1763 2
Chitty Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • William Henry Chitty, aged 32, who arrived in America from London, England, in 1911
  • William George Chitty, aged 27, who arrived in America from Bournemouth, England, in 1912
  • William Edwin Chitty, aged 43, who arrived in America from London, England, in 1914
  • Maggie Chitty, aged 28, who arrived in America from Belvedere, England, in 1915
  • Albert Chitty, aged 23, who arrived in America from London, England, in 1915
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chitty migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Chitty Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Chitty, (Skinner, William) who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Chitty migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Chitty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • F Chitty, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Jane 4
  • Frederick Chitty, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Jane" in 1841 4
  • Mr. Chitty, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Jane" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 5
  • Charles Chitty, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863
  • Thomas Chitty, aged 25, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Chitty (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Chitty (1802-1878), English lawyer and legal writer, son of Joseph Chitty 7
  • Joseph Chitty the Elder (1775-1841), English lawyer and legal author 7
  • Edward Chitty (1804-1863), English legal reporter, third son of Joseph Chitty the Elder 7
  • Derwas James Chitty (1901-1971), English Anglican priest, member of the Fellowship of Saint Alban and Saint Sergius
  • Sir Joseph William Chitty (1828-1899), English cricketer, rower, judge and Liberal politician, second son of Thomas Chitty
  • Erik Chitty (1907-1977), English film and television actor, best known for his role as "Mr. Smith" in Please Sir!
  • Sir Thomas Willes Chitty (1855-1930), 1st Baronet of The Temple Master of the Supreme Court from 1900 to 1920 and Senior Master of the Supreme Court and King's Remembrancer from 1920 to 1926
  • Sir Thomas Willes Chitty (1926-2014), 3rd Baronet of The Temple, British peer and novelist, better known by his pen name Thomas Hinde
  • Ernest Chitty (1883-1948), New Zealand Anglican clergyman, tutor and organist
  • Air Commodore Jon Chitty OBE RAF, British Commandant of the Air Training Corps (2002-2003), Commandant Air Cadets (2002-2005)
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Archibald George Chitty (d. 1912), aged 28, English Steward from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 8
  • Mr. George Henry Chitty (d. 1912), aged 52, English Baker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 8


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 25 Nov. 2019
  8. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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