Flite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The ancestors of the Flite family took their surname from a place name. The roots of this place name lie with the ancient Viking settlers. The Flite surname comes from someone having lived in Flet, a place-name found in the Orkney Islands. This was probably derived from the Old Norse word flötr, which meant "stretch of arable land."

Early Origins of the Flite family

The surname Flite was first found in the Orkneys, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. They derived their name from the village of Flett in the parish of Delting in the Shetland Islands. The name is mentioned in the early Viking sagas, and was one of the most prominent names mentioned in those sagas.

"The family was at one time of such importance that, if they had ever been 'of Flett' we should have evidence of it" 1

Early History of the Flite family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Flite research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1427, 1480, 1509, 1516, 1665 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Flite History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Flite Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were quite undeveloped in the Middle Ages. Consequently, the spelling of Scottish names was an inconsistent practice, usually governed by the unique ear of the scribe recording the name. Over the years, Flite was spelled Flet, Flett, Fletts, Flait and others.

Early Notables of the Flite family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Flite Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Flite migration to the United States +

Opportunity and land greeted those who made it all the way. Some had the opportunity to solidify their new freedom by fighting in the American War of Independence, while others went or stayed north as United Empire Loyalists. Recently, the ancestors of those brave settlers have been able to recover much of their heritage through Clan societies and other patriotic organizations. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Flite:

Flite Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Flite, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 2

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)