Oterway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Oterway name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the region of Ottway. Oterway is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Oterway family

The surname Oterway was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Oterway family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oterway research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1615, 1652, 1671, 1680, 1682, 1685, 1692 and 1693 are included under the topic Early Oterway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oterway Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Oterway were recorded, including Otway, Ottway, Ottaway, Otaway, Otawa and others.

Early Notables of the Oterway family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Otway; and Thomas Otway (1652-1685), an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for Venice Preserv'd, or...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oterway Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Oterway family to Ireland

Some of the Oterway family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 104 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 Oterway family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Oterway family emigrate to North America: Thomas Ottway who settled in Virginia in 1623; James Otway arrived in New York in 1823 with his wife and five children, and his brother William; W.B. Otway settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1852..

The Oterway 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: Si Deus nobiscum quis contra nos
Motto Translation: If God be with us who can be against us?.