Gatonby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Gatonby family name to the British Isles. Gatonby is a name for a watchman. The watchman was responsible for keeping guard over the gates of a castle or manor.

Early Origins of the Gatonby family

The surname Gatonby was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Gatenby. One of the first records of the family was Stephen de Gaitenbi (c. 1190-1212) who was listed in Early Yorkshire Charters.

In 1327, the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire listed Thomas de Gaytenby and later Peter de Gaytenby was listed in the Calendar of Inquisitiones post mortem of Yorkshire (1405-1406.) 1

Early History of the Gatonby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatonby research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gatonby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gatonby Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Gattonsby, Gatensby, Gatonby, Gattenby, Gatenby and many more.

Early Notables of the Gatonby family

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

Gatonby migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Gatonby or a variant listed above:

Gatonby Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Luke Gatonby, who landed in Maryland in 1671 2

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)