Methe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Methe

What does the name Methe mean?

The name Methe was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Methe family lived in Methley, Yorkshire. Methley is situated midway between Leeds and Pontefract and the town dates back to Anglo-Saxon times.The village of Methley contains a fine church dating from the 14th century with family tombs and medieval carvings which inspired the sculptures of Henry Moore.

Early Origins of the Methe family

The surname Methe was first found in Yorkshire from very ancient times. At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 the village of Methley, midway between Leeds and Pontefract, was held by Ilbert de Lacy, a Norman noble who accompanied King William in his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066. The village of Methley contains a fine church dating from the 14th century with family tombs and medieval carvings which inspired the sculptures of Henry Moore.

Early History of the Methe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Methe research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1379 and 1614 are included under the topic Early Methe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Methe Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Methe are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Methe include Methley, Methly, Mettley, Meythly, Methelay, Methlay and many more.

Early Notables of the Methe family

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

Methe migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Methe, or a variant listed above:

Methe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Methe, who landed in New York, NY in 1782 1

Methe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johan Gaspar Methe, aged 50, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1805 1

Sources +

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)