Keite History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Keite family

The surname Keite was first found in Norfolk, where the name is generally thought to have been derived from a baptismal name as "the son of Kett, but whether Kett represents a nick, of Catherine, or, like Kit, of Christopher, I cannot say." 1

The first record of the name was Ailnod Kete who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1166. A few years later, Richard Kete was recorded in Suffolk in 1221 and in Durham, Robert Chet was listed at Boldun in 1183. Richard Kyte was recorded in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243. 2

William Ket was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk in 1273. 1 2 Ralph atte Kete was registered in Kent in 1292, Peter le Kyte was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 and John Kette was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327. 2

The famed poet John Keats (1795-1821), was "born in London, at the sign of the Swan and Hoop, 24 The Pavement, Moorfields. These premises were occupied as a livery stable by one John Jennings, into whose service the father of the poet, Thomas Keats, had entered as a lad. Families of the name of Keats are found settled in Devonshire both north and south, and of the origin of Thomas Keats nothing is known except that he came either from that county or from Cornwall." 3

Early History of the Keite family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keite research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1476, 1487, 1510, 1600, 1633, 1661, 1666, 1696, 1700, 1705, 1744, 1757, 1808, 1812 and 1834 are included under the topic Early Keite History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keite Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Keite family name include Keate, Keete, Keyte, Keite, Keat, Keet, Keats and many more.

Early Notables of the Keite family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Jonathan Keate, 1st Baronet (1633-1700), of The Hoo, County of Hertford, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 1666; Sir Gilbert Hoo Keate, 2nd Baronet (c. 1661-1705); and Sir Henry Hoo Keate, 3rd Baronet (c. 1696-1744.)Sir...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keite Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keite migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Keite surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Keite Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Keite, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1854 4

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)