Wathe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The surname Wathe was derived from the common given name Watt, which was a short form of Walter. "Walter being one of the great fontal names of the 13th and 14th centuries, and Wat being the popular nick., it can scarcely be a matter for surprise that Watts and Watson are two of our most familiar surnames." 1

Early Origins of the Wathe family

The surname Wathe was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat from early times, and were descended from Simon Wathes, a soldier of fortune, who accompanied King Stephen into England in the year 1135.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for the family, that of William Wattes in Oxfordshire and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Watte as holding lands there at that time. 1

John Wathes was Lord of the manor of Eston in that county in 1347. His son, William Wathes, was father of Simon Wattys. Sir Richard Wattys, his son, fought under the banner of York at the Battle of Wakefield where he died leaving Thomas Wattys the manor of Whitefield in Northampton.

Sir Michael Wath (fl. 1314-1347), was an English judge who probably derived his surname from one of the three places of the name of Wath in Yorkshire. 2

"The family of Watts of Hawkesdale Hall, co. Cumberland, deduce themselves from Sir John le Fleming, Lord of Wath, on Dearn, co. York, who died 14. Edw. II. His second son Raynier assumed the territorial name De Wath, and his descendants gradually corrupted that designation to its present form. In temp. Edward II. it was De Wath or Wathes; temp. Henry VI., Wattys; temp. Henry VII., Wattes; temp. Charles I., and subsequently, Watts." 3

Early History of the Wathe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wathe research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1446, 1511, 1615, 1674, 1748 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wathe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wathe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Watts, Wathes, Wattys, Wath, Watt and others.

Early Notables of the Wathe family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wathe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wathe family to Ireland

Some of the Wathe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 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 Wathe family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Robert Watts who settled in Bona Vista in Newfoundland in 1708; David Watt settled in Barbados in 1680; Captain Watts settled in Boston in 1755; Henry Watts settled in Maine in 1630.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.