Show ContentsGaotes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Gaotes surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived at the cotes which was in turn derived from the Old English word cote, which means at the cottage, which denotes that the initial bearer of this surname lived in a little cottage. 1 Due to the general meaning of the name, there are a few places named Coates in Britain including places in Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire. 1 The last dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Cotes. 2

Early Origins of the Gaotes family

The surname Gaotes was first found in Staffordshire where the family are "descended from Richard de Cotes, who was probably son of Thomas de Coates, living in 1157, when the Black Book of the Exchequer was compiled." 3 At that time, he held large estates on the Salop, Staffordshire borders.

By 1273, the name was scattered throughout England as seen in the Hundredorum Rolls of that year: Egidius de Cotes, Norfolk; Robert de Cotes, Buckinghamshire; and Geoffrey de Cotes, Lincolnshire. And later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Thomas del Cotes; Johannes del Cotes; and Henricus del Cote as all holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Gaotes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaotes research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1210, 1273, 1556, 1609, 1682, 1716 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gaotes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaotes Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Gaotes include Coates, Coate, Coats and others.

Early Notables of the Gaotes family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Thomas de Cotes, Knight of a land-holding family in the Salop-Stafford area; George Cotes (or Cotys) (died 1556), an English academic and a Catholic bishop during the...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gaotes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Gaotes family to Ireland

Some of the Gaotes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 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 Gaotes family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Coates who settled in Virginia in 1650; James Coates settled in Jamaica in 1679; Mary Coates settled in New York in 1686; William Coates settled in Barbados in 1660.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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