The Tatman surname is generally thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "teitr," meaning "cheerful." According to the Venerable Bede, Tate was used as a nickname for Ethelberga daughter of Ethelbert, king of Kent. [1] Some sources suggest that its origins are quite distinct from the Old English roots of Tate.
The surname Tatman was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where they held a family seat from early times. One of the first records of the name was Thomas dictus Tayt in 1329 who was listed as having a debt to the king at that time. There are several recorded instances of payments to a John Tayt, clerk of the hospital of Montrose, between 1362-70. Alexander Tayt was burgess of Edinburgh in 1381. Adam Tayte had a safe conduct to travel in England in 1424. [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tatman research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1597, 1381, 1424, 1432, 1490, 1492, 1531, 1567, 1531, 1567, 1575, 1605, 1626, 1666, 1652, 1715, 1692, 1652, 1715, 1692 and are included under the topic Early Tatman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the first dictionaries and printing presses went into use in the last few hundred years, spelling, particularly of names, was a largely intuitive matter. Consequently, many spelling variations occur in even the simplest names from the Middle Ages. Tatman has been spelled Tait, Tate, Tayte, Taite and others.
Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Princess Tait of Kent; Faithful Teate (c.1626-1666) Irish Protestant clergyman and poet from County Cavan, Ireland, sometimes known as Faithful Tate or Faithfull Teate; and...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tatman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Tatman is the 15,324th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]
Migration of the Tatman family to IrelandSome of the Tatman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Tatman migration to the United States +The east coasts of the United States and Canada are still populated by many of the descendents of the Boernician-Scottish families who made that great crossing. They distributed themselves evenly when they first arrived, but at the time of the War of Independence those who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. This century, many of their ancestors have recovered their past heritage through highland games and other Scottish functions in North America. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that many immigrants bearing the name Tatman or a variant listed above:
Scotland
England
