Maffat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

It was in the Scottish/English Borderlands that the Strathclyde-Briton people first used the ancient name Maffat. It was a name for someone who lived in the place called Moffatt, in Scotland. The place-name is derived from the Gaelic words magh and fada, which mean field and long. Hence, the surname Maffat means, from the long field.

Early Origins of the Maffat family

The surname Maffat was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, at Annandale where the first on record was Nicholas de Mufet who began his life as a simple cleric and was first recorded as witness to a charter by Walter, bishop of Glasgow, some time before 1232. Approximately twenty years later, in 1250, he was made Archdeacon of Theuidale and eventually, in 1268, he was made Bishop of Glasgow. After only two years of holding the position of bishop, he died, in the year 1270. 1

Early History of the Maffat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maffat research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1348, 1467, 1553, 1604, 1795, 1815, 1870, 1883 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Maffat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maffat Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Maffat has appeared as Moffatt, Maffat, Maffett, Maffet, Moffat, Moffet, Moffett, Moffert, Moffertt, Moffit, Moffitt, Merphet, Merphett, Merfet, Merfett, Murphat, Murphatt, Murphet, Murphett, Muffat, Muffatt, Muffett, Muffet, Muffit and many more.

Early Notables of the Maffat family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Muffet (also Moufet, Mouffet, or Moffet) (1553-1604), an English naturalist and physician, best known for his Puritan beliefs, his study of insects in regard to medicine; and Robert Moffat (1795-1883). Starting off as a gardener, he decided to become a missionary...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maffat Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Maffat family to Ireland

Some of the Maffat family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maffat migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Maffat Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cath Maffat, who arrived in America in 1805 2
Robert Maffat, who landed in America in 1805 2
William Maffat, who arrived in America in 1805 2

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)