Watts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Watts

What does the name Watts mean?

The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Scotland were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Scottish patronymic names emerged as early as the mid-9th century. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The surname Watts is derived from from the personal name Walter, meaning strong warrior.

Early Origins of the Watts family

The surname Watts was first found in Carnegy on the north-east coast of Scotland. "In 1446 there is mention of the seal of Wat of Carnegy. Walter Wat held land in Brechin in 1586, and Alexander Wat was witness to a sasine in 1512. Patrick Wat in Turriff was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1609, and John Wat was retoured heir of Adam Wat, writer to the King's Signet, in lands in the parish of Stewartoun, etc., in 1663. " ( Black)

Early History of the Watts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Watts research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1596, 1615, 1796 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Watts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Watts Spelling Variations

The frequent translations of surnames from and into Gaelic, accounts for the multitude of spelling variations found in Scottish surnames. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation, or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Watts has also been spelled Watts, Wathes, Wattys, Wath, Watt and others.

Early Notables of the Watts family

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

Watts World Ranking

the United States, the name Watts is the 294^th most popular surname with an estimated 92,019 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Watts is ranked the 716^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,467 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Watts is the 144^th popular surname with an estimated 19,782 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Watts as 234^th with 2,524 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Watts as 143^rd with 35,592 people. 5

Migration of the Watts family to Ireland

Some of the Watts family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Watts migration to the United States +

Some of the first North American settlers with Watts name or one of its variants:

Mr. Thomas Watts, who arrived in Virginia in aboard the ship "Bolton" 7

Watts Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Watts, who settled in Maine in 1630
Mr. Jeremy Watts, aged 21, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "Paul" in 1635 7
Mr. Richard Watts, aged 24, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "Primrose" in 1635 7
Jonas Watts, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Jonas Watts, aged 21, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Watts Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Watts, who settled in New York in 1700 from Edinburgh
Daniel Watts, who landed in Virginia in 1703 8
Experiance Watts, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 8
Frances Watts, who landed in Georgia in 1743 8
Captain Watts, who settled in Boston in 1755

Watts Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Archibald Watts, aged 25, who arrived in Virginia in 1812 8
Joseph Watts, aged 28, who landed in New York in 1812 8
Jane Watts, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 8
Charles Watts, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 8
Margaret Watts, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Watts migration to Canada +

Watts Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Robert Watts who settled in Bona Vista in Newfoundland in 1708 9

Watts Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Henry Watts, who arrived in Canada in 1815
James Watts, aged 36, a weaver, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland
Janet Watts, aged 33, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland
Jane Watts, aged 13, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland
Charles Watts, aged 12, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Watts migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Mr. James Watts, British settler convicted at Middlesex, England in 1786, sentenced to Life for highway robbery, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 6

Second Fleet

Mr. Thomas Pardoe Watts, British settler convicted in Warwickshire, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Third Fleet" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 7
Miss Mary Watts, (b. 1771), aged 19, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a watch, transported aboard the ship "Mary Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 7
Mr. William Watts, (d. 1791), British settler convicted in London, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Active" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 7

Following the First and Second Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Watts Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Betty Watts, British Convict who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. George Watts, British Convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Richard Watts, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr.John Watts, British settler who was convicted in Leicestershire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Fortune" on 31st October 1812, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Richard Watts, English convict who was convicted in Westminster, London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Watts Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

"Miss Elizabeth Watts, (b. 1808), aged 20, English milliner who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for shop lifting, transported aboard the ""Competitor"" on 9th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia" 15
"Miss Elizabeth Watts, (Carole Cooper), (b. 1812), aged 16, English nurse girl who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ""Competitor"" on 9th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1845 mother and sisters on the same ship" 15

Watts 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:

Watts Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Watts, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Glenbervie 16
William Watts, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Arab
William Watts, aged 27, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
Esther Watts, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
Harriet Ann Watts, aged 3, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Watts migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 17

Watts Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Medusala Watts, aged 20, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 8
Mr. John Watt's, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 18
Mr. James Watts, (b. 1600), aged 35, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 18
Mr. John Watts, (b. 1610), aged 25, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 18
Mr. John Watts, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Paul of London" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Watts (post 1700) +

Donald Earl "Slick" Watts (1951-2025), American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association, playing with the Seattle SuperSonics (1973-1978), New Orleans Jazz (1978), Houston Rockets (1978-1979)
Claudius Elmer "Bud" Watts III (1936-2023), United States Air Force lieutenant general and past president of The Citadel having served from 1989 to 1996
André Watts (1946-2023), American classical pianist and professor at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University, he performed as soloist with all the major American orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, as well as the London Symphony Orchestra, recipient of a Grammy Award for Best New Classical Artist in 1964
Ronny "Ron" Watts (1943-2022), American professional basketball player who played in the NBA for two seasons (1965–67) as a member of the Boston Celtics
John Watts De Peyster Jr. (1841-1873), Union Army officer during the American Civil War
John Watts de Peyster Sr. (1821-1907), American author on the art of war, philanthropist, Adjutant General of the New York National Guard
John Watts (1778-1823), American merchant captain from Virginia, eponym of the destroyer USS Watts (DD-567)
André Watts (b. 1946), German-born, American classical pianist and professor
Mary Stanbery Watts (1868-1958), American novelist from Delaware County, Ohio
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Watts family +

Cataraqui

George Watts (b. 1818), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
Elizabeth Watts (b. 1820), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
Richard Watts (b. 1845), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
Francis Charles William Watts (d. 1942), British Petty Officer aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 20
Mr. Edward A H Watts (b. 1905), English Chief Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Wimbledon, Surrey, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 21
... (Another 11 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Watts 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: Fide et fiducia
Motto Translation: By fidelity and confidence.

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm