Garatt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Although the Garatt surname came to Britain with the Normans, it derives from the Germanic personal names Gerard, or Gerald, composed of the elements "gar," or "ger," meaning "spear," "hard," meaning "brave," or "strong," and "wald," meaning "rule." 1

Not all of the family made the crossing with the Conqueror as Roger and William Garet were both listed in Normandy in 1180. A few years later, Arnulph and William Garet were also listed there in 1198. 2

Early Origins of the Garatt family

The surname Garatt was first found in Lincolnshire, where a Geraddus filius Simonis is on record in 1242 in Liber Feodorum. The same source also included Peter Geraud son of Robert Gerold 1250-1251 in Northumberland. 3

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included the family as a forename and surname: Johannes Gerard; Thomas Gerard; and Gyrerd Tolus. 1 In Cumberland, Thomas Gerad was listed there in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332. 4

In Somerset, Adam Garet was registered there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign) 5 and John Gerad was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1230. 4

Early History of the Garatt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garatt research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1379, 1511, 1551, 1560, 1579, 1594, 1597, 1603, 1621, 1640, 1641, 1642, 1648, 1650 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Garatt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garatt Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Garatt are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Garatt include Garrett, Garratt, Garret, Garrat, Garet, Garitt, Garatt and many more.

Early Notables of the Garatt family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baronet (1560-1621), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1597 and 1621. He was the son of Sir Thomas Gerard, of Bryn and his wife Elizabeth Port, daughter of Sir John Port, of Etwall, Derbyshire.George Garrett or Garrard (1579- after 1650), was an English Member of Parliament. He was a younger son of Sir William Garrard of Dorney Court, Buckinghamshire. He was educated at Merton...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Garatt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Garatt family to Ireland

Some of the Garatt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 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 Garatt family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Garatt, or a variant listed above: Hannah and Richard Garrett, who came to Salem, Massachusetts in 1630; Eliz. Garrett, who came to Virginia in 1632; Richard West Garrett, who arrived in St. Christopher in 1635.

Citations +

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 Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.