Show ContentsFatin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Fatin name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in Fitton Hall, in Cambridgeshire. 1 The place-name shows the mark of the Danish influence on England before the Middle Ages. Fitton is derived from the Old Norse word fit, which means field, and the Old English word tun, for farm or fort. It literally means "fort among the fields," and was probably the site of a Danish army camp sometime in the 9th to 10th centuries. 2

Early Origins of the Fatin family

The surname Fatin was first found in at Rufford, Lancashire which was an early homestead of the family. "A moiety of this manor appears to have been granted in the reign of Henry I., by Richard Bussel, the second Baron of Penwortham, to Richard Fitun or Fitton. John Fitton, his great-grandson, was also lord of half of Rufford; and the grandson of the latter, by a charter without date, gave the moiety of the town to his daughter Matilda, or Maud. This Matilda married Sir William Hesketh; and by the marriage of Sir William's grandson with the heiress of Edmund Fitton, lord of half Rufford, he became sole lord of the manor, which has since been vested in his descendants. " 3

"Fitton is an ancient Lancashire name now mostly characteristic of the district of Bury. The Fittons were lords of Great Harwood in the 12th and 13th centuries; and in fact in that early period the name occurred in various forms in the extensive parish of Whalley, such as, Fittun, Fitun, Fitton, Fyton, Phiton, Phitun, etc.: Roger Fitton of Martholm, Harwood, gave a bell to Stanlaw Abbey, apparently in the 16th century (W. W. and A.). The Cheshire Fittons are referred to under that county." 4

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. Richard ffyton was listed in Lancashire in 1188; Richard Fitun was found in the Pipe Rolls for Warwickshire in 1195; and Alan de Fittun was listed in Cheshire c. 1213. 1

Early History of the Fatin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fatin research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1370, 1527, 1548, 1572, 1578, 1579, 1580, 1595, 1600, 1603, 1606, 1607, 1614, 1619, 1630, 1643, 1678, 1687, 1690 and 1698 are included under the topic Early Fatin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fatin Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Fatin were recorded, including Fitton, Fiton, Fytton, Fyton and others.

Early Notables of the Fatin family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Edward Fitton, 1st Baronet (1572-1619); and Sir Edward Fitton (1603-1643), 2nd Baronet, of Gawsworth Hall Cheshire, who died without issue. He had seven sisters but the nearest male was his father. His estates were contested for years, but in the end they were lost from the family.Mary Fitton (fl. 1600), was Maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth, and alleged to be 'the dark lady' mentioned in Shakespeare's sonnets. She was the fourth child and second daughter of Sir Edward Fitton the younger [see above], by his wife, Alice, daughter of Sir John Holcroft. She...
Another 145 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fatin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Fatin family to Ireland

Some of the Fatin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 95 words (7 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 Fatin family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Fatin family emigrate to North America: William Fitton who settled in Barbados in 1683; Edmund, John, and R.G.M. Fitton settled in Pennsylvania between 1844 and 1873; Isaac and William Fitton settled in Baltimore, Maryland in 1823..



The Fatin 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: Vae duplici cordi
Motto Translation: Woe to the deceitful heart


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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