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]
The surname Garatt was first found in Lincolnshire, where a Geraddus filius Simonis is on record in 1242 in Liber Feodorum. A John Gerad was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1230. [3]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garatt research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1086, 1511, 1551 and are included under the topic Early Garatt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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.
More information is included under the topic Early Garatt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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.
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.