Show ContentsLovett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Lovett name is derived from the Anglo-Norman French word "louvet," meaning a "wolf cub." It is thought to have originally been a nickname which came to be a surname.

Early Origins of the Lovett family

The surname Lovett was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of lands held by the great Norman Baron William Louvet who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086 who was also granted lands in Bedford, Northampton, Worcester and Leicester.

Early History of the Lovett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lovett research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1125 and 1172 are included under the topic Early Lovett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lovett Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Louvet, Lovet, Lovett, Lovatt and others.

Early Notables of the Lovett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • the Lovett family of Berkshire

Lovett Ranking

In the United States, the name Lovett is the 1,655th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Lovett family to Ireland

Some of the Lovett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Lovett migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lovett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Daniel Lovett who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630
  • Mary Lovett, who settled in Virginia in 1635
  • Gurtred Lovett, who arrived in Virginia in 1635
  • Gurtred Lovett, aged 18, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "David" in 1635 3
  • Robert Lovett, aged 20, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lovett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Lovett, who landed in America in 1760-1763 3
  • Joseph Lovett, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1775 3
Lovett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edward Lovett, who arrived in New York in 1819 3
  • Giles Henry Lovett, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 3
  • George Lovett, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 3
  • Charles, George, John, Robert, Thomas and William Lovett, all, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1865
  • Ralph Lovett, aged 23, who arrived in Iowa in 1868 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lovett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lovett Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Phineas Lovett, who arrived in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760
  • Capt. Daniel Lovett U.E. (b. 1753) who settled in Carleton [Saint John West], New Brunswick, Canada c. 1784 he died in 1833 4
  • Mr. Jonathan Lovett U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John West], New Brunswick, Canada c. 1784 4
Lovett Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Ann Lovett, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1843
  • Mr. Charles Lovett who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Pursuit" departing 4th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 23rd June 1847 but he died on board 5
  • Mr. Jonah Lovett, aged 35 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Pursuit" departing 4th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 23rd June 1847 but he died on board 5
  • Miss. Mary Lovett, aged 10 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Pursuit" departing 4th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 23rd June 1847 but she died on board 5

Lovett migration to Australia +

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

Lovett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • James Lovett, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. Henry Lovett, English convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 30 years, transported aboard the "Duncan" on 10th December 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Zacharias Lovett, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Amazon"

Lovett migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lovett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Lovett, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 8
  • Sarah Lovett, aged 21, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ambrosine" in 1860 8
  • Mr. Edward Lovett, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Black Eagle" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th November 1861 8
  • Edward Lovett, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Black Eagle" in 1861 9
  • Arthur Lovett, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ida Zeigler" in 1863
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lovett (post 1700) +

  • Robert Quincy Lovett (1927-2022), American Academy Award nominated film editor, best known for his editing work on The Cotton Club (1984), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Blow Out (1981) and A Bronx Tale (1993)
  • Woodrow Lovett, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Georgia 11th District, 1992, 1994 10
  • William E. Lovett, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Governor of California, 1875 10
  • Wallace Raymond Lovett (b. 1880), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1936 10
  • Timothy A. Lovett, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1940 10
  • W. H. Lovett, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1948, 1952; Member of Georgia State Board of Education 6th District, 1950; Mayor of Dublin, Georgia, 1953 10
  • Samuel Lovett, American politician, Candidate for Governor of South Dakota, 1912 10
  • Max Lovett, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1948 10
  • John Lovett, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Schoharie County 1st District, 1856 10
  • John Lovett (1761-1818), American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Rensselaer County, 1800-01 10
  • ... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Halifax Explosion
  • Mr. William  Lovett Sr. (1844-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 11
  • Mr. Alfred  Lovett (1867-1917), Canadian resident from Tufts Cove, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 11
  • Mr. William Arthur  Lovett (1881-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 11
  • Miss Ada  Lovett (1882-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 11
  • Mrs. Bertha  Lovett (1886-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 11
  • ... (Another 2 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Arthur S Lovett, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 12
RMS Lusitania
  • Miss Mary Lovett, American 2nd Class passenger from Fall River, Massachusetts, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 13


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 84)
  6. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duncan
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  11. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  12. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  13. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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