| ![Show Contents]() Otway History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the name Otway date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Otway family lived in the region of Ottway. Otway 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 Otway familyThe surname Otway 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 Otway familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Otway 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 Otway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Otway Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Otway are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Otway include: Otway, Ottway, Ottaway, Otaway, Otawa and others. Early Notables of the Otway familyNotables of this surname at this time include:  Migration of the Otway family to Ireland
Some of the Otway 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.
| Otway migration to the United States | + |
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Otway or a variant listed above:
Otway Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Otway, who landed in New England in 1670 1
Otway Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- James Otway, who arrived in New York in 1823 with his wife and five children, and his brother William
- W. B. Otway settled in San Francisco, California in 1852
| Otway 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: Otway Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Robert Otway, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
- Ann Otway, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
- Errat Otway, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
- James Otway, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
- Ada Otway, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1859
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Otway (post 1700) | + |
- Henry Otway (1768-1815), Irish owner of Otway Castle
- Wayne Kenneth Otway (b. 1956), former Australian-rules football player
- Lt-Col. Terence Otway (1914-2006), British Commander of Airborne Forces, commander of the paratroop assault on the Merville Battery on D-Day
- Admiral Sir Robert Waller Otway GCB (1773-1846), 1st Baronet, British senior Royal Navy officer
- Lee Otway, British singer and actor
- John Otway (b. 1952), British singer, songwriter, and humorist
- Caesar Otway (1780-1842), Irish clergyman and writer, born at Castle Otway
- Arthur John Otway (1822-1891), 3rd Baronet, Scottish-born, British barrister and Liberal politician, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1868-1871)
- Sir Otway Herbert (1901-1984), English Lieutenant General of the Royal Artillery
- Otway Burns (d. 1850), American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons, 1821-22, 1824-27, 1832; Member of North Carolina State Senate, 1828-30, 1834 2
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?.
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Otway migration to the United States 
Otway migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
