Kittow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Kittow

What does the name Kittow mean?

It was in the Scottish/English Borderlands that the Strathclyde-Briton people first used the ancient name Kittow. It was a name for someone who lived in Norfolk, England; or the name may also be from Chetel, an Old Norse and Old English given name.

Early Origins of the Kittow family

The surname Kittow was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Kittow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kittow research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1403, 1597 and 1633 are included under the topic Early Kittow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kittow Spelling Variations

Scribes in Medieval Scotland spelled names by sound rather than any set of rules, so an enormous number of spelling variations exist in names of that era. Kittow has been spelled Catto, Cattoch, Cattow, Kitto, Citto, Chatto, Chattoch, Chetto, Cato and many more.

Early Notables of the Kittow family

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

Migration of the Kittow family

The number of Strathclyde Clan families sailing for North America increased steadily as the persecution continued. In the colonies, they could find not only freedom from the iron hand of the English government, but land to settle on. The American War of Independence allowed many of these settlers to prove their independence, while some chose to go to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots played essential roles in the forging of both great nations. Among them: James Catto who settled in Maryland in 1775; John Catto arrived in Philadelphia in 1754; William Catto arrived in Nevis in 1775.

The Kittow Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Omnibus amicus
Motto Translation: A friend to everyone.