Etten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Etten date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence on a farm by a river or a farm on an island. 1 The surname Etten originally derived from the Old English word Eatun which referred to farm on a river or island. The surname Etten is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Etten family

The surname Etten was first found in various townships named "Eaton," throughout Britain including those in Berkshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Salop, Herefordshire, Bedfordshire and more. Many of the villages and parishes date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 including: Castle Eaton, Wiltshire; Eaton, Norfolk; Eaton, Oxfordshire; Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire and Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire. 1

One source claims that Cheshire is the original home to the family. "The Cheshire Eatons take their name from townships of the name in the county. The Eatons of Eaton, a very old and distinguished family, are probably the parent stock." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 points to the earliest records of the family: Peter de Eton in Huntingdonshire; and Brian de Eton in Wiltshire. 3

Early History of the Etten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Etten research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1596, 1610, 1633, 1634, 1658, 1665, 1674, 1684 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Etten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Etten Spelling Variations

Etten has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Etten have been found, including Eaton, Eton, Eaten and others.

Early Notables of the Etten family

Notables of the family at this time include Samuel Eaton (ca.1596-1665), an English independent divine; Theophilus Eaton (c.1590-1658), a merchant, farmer, and Puritan colonial leader who was the co-founder and first governor of New Haven Colony, Connecticut; Nathaniel Eaton (1610-1674) English settler Massachusetts Bay Colony (c. 1634), the first schoolmaster of Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Etten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Etten family to Ireland

Some of the Etten family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Etten family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Ettens to arrive on North American shores: Alexander Eaton who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1651; Eliza Eaton settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; Francis Eaton, his wife Sarah, and son Samuel, arrived on the ".

Contemporary Notables of the name Etten (post 1700) +

Roger Van Etten, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 2008 (alternate), 2012 4
John G. Van Etten, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1896 4
James H. Van Etten, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chemung County, 1852 4
James B. Van Etten, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Albany County 4th District, 1855 4
Isaac Van Etten, American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 2nd District, 1857-58 4
Helen van Etten, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 2008, 2012; Member of Republican National Committee from Kansas, 2012; Presidential Elector for Kansas, 2012 4
George H. Van Etten, American politician, Mayor of Bay City, Michigan, 1871-73 4
Frank Van Etten, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Chenango County, 1915 4
Ethyl Van Etten, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1928 4

The Etten 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: Vincit omnia veritas
Motto Translation: Truth conquers all things.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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 Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html