Gabitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Gabitt

What does the name Gabitt mean?

The name Gabitt was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the name Geribodo, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements geri, or gari, which means spear and bodo, which means messenger. Geribodo was the name of the 7th century saint who was Bishop of Bayeux. The name Gabitt was also a derivative of the Germanic personal name Geribald, which was composed of the elements geri, which again means spear, and bald, which means bold or brave. This name was borne by a 9th century saint who was the Bishop of Chalons-sur-Seine.

Early Origins of the Gabitt family

The surname Gabitt was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. Gherbode, was created Earl of Chester by Duke William of Normandy, after he had a conflict with the previous Earl, Earl Hugh, who was transferred to Carlisle Castle. Gherbode, also known as Gerbode the Fleming, was William's step-son. This Earl Gherbode or Gerbodo also held lands in Yorkshire.

Early History of the Gabitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gabitt research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1486 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Gabitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gabitt Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Garbutt, Garbut, Garbit, Garbitt, Garbet, Garbot, Garbott, Garbett, Garbed, Gabit, Gabut, Gabutt, Gerbot and many more.

Early Notables of the Gabitt family

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

Migration of the Gabitt family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Gabitt or a variant listed above were: William Garbett, who sailed to Barbados in 1658; Thomas Garburt to Virginia in 1659; Peter Garbutt to West New Jersey in 1664; Richard Garbutt to Nova Scotia in 1774 with his wife and six children, and Robert James Garbutt to Texas in 1896..