Gator History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Gator

What does the name Gator mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Gator comes from when its first bearer worked as a caterer. The surname Gator was an official name, "the cater," derived from the Old French ale catour, a title meaning a buyer of groceries for the gentleman's house. They were in charge of maintaining provisions in manors and castles. The cater's job assumed a great importance during extended sieges of his lord's castle, which could last for years.

Early Origins of the Gator family

The surname Gator was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. William le Catur who was documented in the year 1273 in Essex and a few years later, Bernard le Acatour was listed in 1300 in Somerset. William Katerer was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379.

Early History of the Gator family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gator research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1150 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Gator History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gator Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Gator include Cater, Cator, Cather, Catter, Cader and others.

Early Notables of the Gator family

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

Migration of the Gator family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Gator or a variant listed above: George Cater who settled in Virginia in 1642; Mary Cator, who came to Virginia in 1726; Sarah Cater, who settled in New England in 1760; Andrew and Jane Cather, who arrived in New York in 1823 with their three children.