Show ContentsGettings History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Celtic name of Gettings was derived from the rugged landscape of Wales. This old, proud name is from the Welsh personal name Gethin. According to some experts, this forename is derived from the word "cethin," which means "dusky" or "dark."

Early Origins of the Gettings family

The surname Gettings was first found in Cheshire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor near Malpas. The main stem of the family is said to be descended from David Goch, a Welsh chieftain, Lord of Penmachno of Fedwdeg. One of the oldest records of the name was Rhys Gethin (died 1405), Welsh standard bearer and a leading general in the revolt of Owain Glyndwr in which he led an army which captured several castles in South Wales; and later Ieuan Gethin ap Ieuan ap Lleision (fl. c. 1450) was a Welsh language poet and gentleman from Baglan, Glamorgan. A large number of his own poems remain in existence today.

Early History of the Gettings family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gettings research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1402, 1405, 1585, 1615, 1652, 1674, 1676, 1685, 1697, 1698, 1709, 1725, 1765 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Gettings History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gettings Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Gettings has seen various spelling variations: Gethin, Gethyn, Gethyns, Gethyng, Gethings, Gething, Gethinge, Getting, Gettings, Gittings, Gittens, Gittins, Gidding, Giddings, Gettins, Giddens, Giddins, Gidden, Giddens, Gettens, Gitting and many more.

Early Notables of the Gettings family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Rhys Gethin (died 1405), key figure in the revolt of Owain Glyndwr, standard bearer and a leading general, took part in the crucial Welsh victory at the Battle of Bryn Glas (1402), led an army which captured several castles in South Wales, killed at either the Battle of Pwll Melyn or the Battle of Grosmont in 1405.Lady Grace Gethin (1676-1697), was...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gettings Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gettings family to Ireland

Some of the Gettings family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 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 Gettings family

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Gettings James, George, and Jane Giddins settled in Boston in 1635; John Giddin(g)s settled in Ipswich in 1653; Edward Giddons settled in Philadelphia in 1773. Adam, James and John Gittens arrived in New York in 1854..


Contemporary Notables of the name Gettings (post 1700) +

  • Don E. Gettings, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Iowa State Senate 33rd District; Elected 1982 1
  • Brian P. Gettings, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1969-74 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook