Izatt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient surname Izatt came from The surname Izatt is a patronymic surname, that is, derived from an ancestor's given name. Patronymic surnames belong to the category of hereditary surnames, and they arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of Charlemagne (742-814) was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were widespread throughout Normandy. Accordingly, many typical English and French names are in fact, originally of Germanic origin and often have cognates in other European countries. In this case, family tradition has it that the name is derived from the name Isolde, the wife of Tristram, nephew of the King of Cornwall, of the great Arthurian legends. According to the family tradition, Tristram escaped to Brittany, where he married Isolde, daughter of the Duke of Brittany. Their tragic love affair became the subject of the opera Tristan and Isolde by Wagner. On the other hand, it seems more likely that the name is derived from the Old German word ishild, which meant ice battle.

Early Origins of the Izatt family

The surname Izatt was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat from ancient times, being granted lands in that shire soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Traditionally, the family was descended from Isolde, daughter of the Duke of Brittany in the fifth century who later became the wife of Tristram, of the great Arthurian legends, nephew of the King of Cornwall. Tristram escaped to Brittany and their tragic love affair became the subject of an opera by Wagner.

Early History of the Izatt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Izatt research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1569, 1577, 1599, 1645, 1695 and 1785 are included under the topic Early Izatt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Izatt Spelling Variations

Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Izzat, Izat, Izatt, Issard, Isoed, Izzatt, Izzard, Izod, Essarts, Isett and many more.

Early Notables of the Izatt family

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

Migration of the Izatt family to Ireland

Some of the Izatt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Izatt migration to the United States +

Early immigration records have shown some of the first of the name Izatt to arrive on North American shores were:

Izatt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jane Izatt, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1854 1
William Izatt, aged 11, who arrived in New York in 1864 1
Alex Izatt, aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1864 1
David Izatt, aged 13, who landed in New York in 1864 1
Grace Izatt, aged 53, who arrived in New York in 1864 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Izatt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Izatt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Izatt, aged 38, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Shackamaxon" 2
James Izatt, aged 17, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Shackamaxon" 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Izatt (post 1700) +

Joseph A. Izatt, American founding and first editor-in-chief of the Biomedical Optics Express
Reed McNeil Izatt (b. 1926), American Charles E. Maw Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah
Keith Izatt (b. 1964), Canadian soccer player from North Vancouver, Canada who played for the Canada National Team (1987-1989)
David Izatt (1892-1916), Scottish footballer from Dunfermline, Scotland who played in 62 matches for Dunfermline Athletic (1911-1914)

Citations +

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)
South Australian Register Thursday 20 January 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SHACKAMAXON 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/shackamaxon1853.shtml