Emmitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the name Emmitt are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the given name Emma. The surname Emmitt 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 Emmitt family

The surname Emmitt 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 Emmitt family

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

Emmitt Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Emmitt family name include Emmett, Emmet, Emott, Emmitt, Emetts and others.

Early Notables of the Emmitt family

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

Migration of the Emmitt family to Ireland

Some of the Emmitt 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.

Emmitt migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Emmitt surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Emmitt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Emmitt, who landed in America in 1798 3

Emmitt Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Thomas Emmitt, aged 39, originally from Nottingham, arrived in New York in 1900 aboard the ship "Oceanic" from Liverpool, England 4
Gertrude Emmitt, aged 27, originally from Nottingham, arrived in New York in 1900 aboard the ship "Oceanic" from Liverpool, England 4
Charles Emmitt, aged 28, originally from Kingston, Jamaica, arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "Orinoco" from Kingston, Jamaica 4
Sidney Emmitt, aged 21, originally from Barbon on Humber, England, arrived in New York, N.Y. in 1908 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 4
John Wm. Emmitt, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Lapland" from London, England 4

Emmitt migration to Australia +

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

Emmitt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Hammond Emmitt, aged 25, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Emmitt (post 1700) +

Drew Emmitt, American mandolinist, guitarist, fiddle player, occasional flutist, and singer
Herbert William Emmitt (1857-1901), English footballer who played in The Football League for Notts County (1888-1889)
Jacob Emmitt (b. 1988), English professional rugby league footballer for Toronto Wolfpack
Lionel Emmitt (b. 1930), Welsh professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s
Raymond Emmitt Dandridge (1913-1994), American third baseman, inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame (1987)
Emmitt J. McDaniel, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1936 6
Emmitt B. Sorrells, American politician, Mayor of Greenville, Texas, 1955 7

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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EPAMINONDAS 1852. Retrieved www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1852.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html