Emmet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The rich and ancient history of the Emmet family name dates back to the time of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from the given name Emma. The surname Emmet is one of the few names in England that derived their name from a female first name. In this case bearers of the surname were referred to as the son of Emma. 1 This surname also has origins in the place-name Emmett (Emmott), which was in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Emmet family

The surname Emmet was first found in Lancashire near the village of Laneshawbridge, Colne.

Emmott Hall was a country house located there and possibly dates back to the 14th century. It is thought the family lived there possibly as early as the Norman Conquest. We do know that Christopher Emmott (died 1745), a successful London cloth merchant modernised the existing house in 1737 to give it a Georgian appearance and made several extensions. Upon his death, his nephew changed his name to Emmott in order to inherit the estate. In 1939, the hall was used as military barracks but was later left empty and had to be demolished in 1967.

Frequently seen in early records as a personal name, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Emmote Kneyt, Buckinghamshire; and Emmete de Fur, Cambridgeshire. 1

One source goes back further claiming that the family was Norman in origin from Amiot or North Amiota of Normandy, 1195. The Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae also lists Robert and Roger Amiot 1198. 2

Early History of the Emmet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Emmet research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Emmet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Emmet Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Emmet have been found, including Emmett, Emmet, Emott, Emmitt, Emetts and others.

Early Notables of the Emmet family

Notables of the family at this time include

Adam Emmett of Lancashire

Migration of the Emmet family to Ireland

Some of the Emmet family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Emmet migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Emmet, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :

Emmet Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Emmet, who landed in Maryland in 1673 3

Emmet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Addis Emmet, who arrived in New York in 1805-1808 3
Jane Emmet, who landed in New York in 1808 3
Michael Emmet, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 3
Richard Emmet, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Emmet (post 1700) +

William Temple Emmet (1869-1918), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to New York State Constitutional Convention 15th District, 1894; Candidate for New York State Senate, 1903 4
William Colville Emmet (1836-1901), American politician, U.S. Consul in Smyrna, 1886-93; Aix-la-Chapelle, 1893-97 4
Robert Emmet (1792-1873), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1856 4
Robert Emmet, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County, 1828 4
Grenville Temple Emmet (1877-1937), American politician, U.S. Minister to Netherlands, 1934-37; Austria, 1937 4
Christopher Temple Emmet (1761-1788), Irish barrister born in Cork, eldest son of Robert Emmet, M.D., and elder brother of Thomas Addis and Robert Emmet 5
Robert Emmet (1778-1803), United Irishman, third and youngest son of Dr. Robert Emmet, physician to the Viceroy in Ireland 5
Thomas Addis Emmet (1764-1827), United Irishman, second son of Dr. Robert Emmet, physician to the Viceroy in Ireland 5
Michael Emmet Walsh (1935-2024), American character actor known for his roles in Critters (1986), Blade Runner (1982) and Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Robert Emmet Finnigan (1927-2022), American pioneer in the development of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry equipment, founder of the Scientific Instruments Division of Electronic Associates, Inc., producing the first commercial quadrupole mass spectrometer in 1964

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 Jan. 2019