Goats History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Goats

What does the name Goats mean?

The Goats surname was a habitational name, from Gotham in Nottinghamshire, which was in turn derived from the Old English "gat," or "goat," and "ham," meaning "homestead."

Early Origins and Etymology of Goats

The surname Goats was first found in Nottinghamshire at Gotham, a village south of Nottingham which dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Gatham 1 and literally meant "homestead or enclosure where goats are kept," from the Old English "gat" + "ham or hamm." 2

The village is most famous for the stories of the "Wise Men of Gotham" in which the villagers feigned imbecility when the royal messengers arrived thereby foiling King John's intent to build a hunting lodge there.

One reference claims that he said "we ween there are more fools pass through Gotham than remain in it." However, one of the first listing of the surname was found years later in Essex in the year 1291 when Stephen de Gotham held estates in that shire.

Gotham was a nickname for New York City first attributed by Washington Irving in 1807 in his Salmagundi, a periodical which lampooned New York culture and politics. Apparently he took the name from Gotham Nottinghamshire. Bill Finger and Bob Kane decided that the fictional "Gotham City" would be appropriate home for their comic book character Batman.

Early History of the Goats family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Goats research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1320, 1381, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Goats History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Goats Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gotham, Gottam, Gottem, Gothame and others.

Early Notables of the Goats family

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

Goats migration to the United States +

Goats Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Goats, who landed in Maryland in 1749 3

Sources +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)