Show ContentsMatchitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Matchitt

What does the name Matchitt mean?

The surname Matchitt is a nickname of Madge and baptismal name as in 'the son of Margaret.' 1

Early Origins of the Matchitt family

The surname Matchitt was first found in Surrey where William Maggard was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. 2

From this earliest entry we must move to Yorkshire to find the next two entries. It is here that Willelmus Machet was found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 1 and later, Samuel Maggett was listed in 1647. 2

Early History of the Matchitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Matchitt research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1379, 1526, 1670, 1736, 1737, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1798, 1799 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Matchitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Matchitt 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 Matchitt include Machet, Machett, Madgett, Madget, Machitt, Machtit, Matchet and many more.

Early Notables of the Matchitt family

John Machet, Rector of Lambeth, county Surrey, in 1526. Nicholas Madgett of Madget (fl. 1799), was an Irish adventurer, born at Kinsale, co. Kerry, and was according to a secret correspondent of Lord Castlereagh-probably Samuel Turner in 1799, at the time of Humbert's expedition to Ireland, near sixty years of age, and had lived for forty years in France. He was employed in the French foreign office in 1794 and the succeeding years in negotiating measures between the French government and Irish politicians for a French invasion of Ireland. In 1794 he gave William Jackson (1737?-1795) his instructions before Jackson set out...
Another 364 words (26 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Matchitt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Matchitt family to Ireland

Some of the Matchitt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 103 words (7 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 Matchitt 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 Matchitt or a variant listed above: Thomas Matchett, who came to Barbados in 1672; John Matchett, a bonded passenger who arrived in Barbados in 1675; Robt. Matchett, who arrived in Virginia in 1680.



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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