The Gatsby name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the parish of Gaddesby, in Leicestershire. In the Domesday Book, [1] the name appeared as Gadesbi from the Old Norse byname Gaddr which meant "Sting." [2]
The surname Gatsby was first found in Leicestershire at Gaddesby, a parish, in the union of Melton-Mowbray, hundred of East Goscote. [3] Gaddesby Hall was built on the site of an earlier house, was surrounded by a moat and dated back to 1390. The present hall was rebuilt in 1744 but suffered neglect through World War II. In the 1950s, it was again renovated to its present state.
While there is no doubt of the place of origin of the name, we must look to Essex for the first entry. There in the Feet of Fines of 1361, we found William de Gadesby. [4]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatsby research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gatsby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Gatsby has undergone many spelling variations, including Gadsby, Godsby, Gadsbury, Gadaby, Gatesby, Gatsby and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Gatsby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Gatsby were among those contributors: