Keyt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Keyt comes from a name for a person who had acquired the nickname of the kite, which was originally derived from the Old English word cyta, referring to the "kite" the bird of prey. 1 2 In this case the original bearer of the surname earned this name due to their wild, and high-spirited nature.

Early Origins of the Keyt family

The surname Keyt was first found in Norfolk where Richard Kete was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166. Years later, Richard Kyte was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243; William Ket in the Hundredorum Rolls for Norfolk in 1275; Peter le Kyte in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327; and John Kette in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland in 1327. Ralph atte Kete was found in the Pipe Rolls for Kent in 1292. 3

In Yorkshire, Hugo Kyte was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4 Again in Norfolk, but much later, John Kyte, was Rector of Wolferton in 1507. 5

Early History of the Keyt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keyt research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1483, 1485, 1507, 1513, 1521, 1524, 1526, 1534, 1535, 1537, 1540, 1547, 1549, 1589, 1616, 1632, 1638, 1660, 1662, 1668, 1688, 1702, 1710, 1713, 1714, 1724, 1725, 1739, 1741, 1745, 1755, 1761, 1766, 1783, 1784 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Keyt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keyt Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Keyt include Kyte, Kite, Keyt, Keyte, Kight, Kyteson and others.

Early Notables of the Keyt family

Distinguished members of the family include Robert "Ben" Kett, an English yeoman farmer in Norfolk who joined rebels as their leader in what was later to be known as Kett's Rebellion on July 8th 1549; he was later tried for treason and hanged from the walls of Norwich Castle on 7 December 1549. He "was a member of an old Norman family...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Keyt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Keyt family to Ireland

Some of the Keyt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 165 words (12 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 Keyt family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Keyt or a variant listed above: Ann Kite who settled in Virginia in 1660; John Kite settled in Virginia in 1656; Patience Kite settled in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1718; Charles and James Kite settled in Pennsylvania in 1773.

Contemporary Notables of the name Keyt (post 1700) +

James Ward Keyt, American Republican politician, Mayor of Piqua, Ohio, 1893-97; Presidential Elector for Ohio, 1924 6
Dr. Frederic Keyt (b. 1866), Hong Kong Medical Practitioner, Assistant Colonial Surgeon and District Commissioner, British Honduras, 1892 to 1902
George Percival Sproule Keyt MBE (1901-1993), Sri Lankan painter

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html