| ![Show Contents]() Motte History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England Etymology of MotteWhat does the name Motte mean? Motte is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Motte family lived in Essex. The name, however, descends from the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Mott a town in Cotes du Nord, Normandy. 1 Early Origins of the Motte familyThe surname Motte was first found in Essex, where the family held a family seat from very early times, having been granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Moate (Irish: An Móta) is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. In this case the town's name was derived from the term "motte-and-bailey," an early Norman fortification with a wooden or stone keep. The Norman earthwork is still visible behind the buildings on the main street. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed a wide range of spellings throughout ancient England: Motte (without surname), Buckinghamshire; William Moth, Norfolk; Basilia Motte, Cambridgeshire; and Richard Mote, Oxfordshire. 2 "In the 13th century, Motte, sometimes written Mot, was a common Cambridgeshire name, but it also occurred then in Essex, Hunts, Kent, Bucks, and Oxfordshire." 3 However, Yorkshire proved to be a stronghold for the family for many years: "The Motts have found a home in this county for at least 600 years. In the 13th century the name of Motte occurred in Bradfield in this county. From the 14th to the 17th century there resided a notable gentle family of Mott at Shalford; some of the members lived at Braintree, in the same neighbourhood, in the 16th and 17th centuries; Sherne Hall, Shalford, was in the possession of the family in the 17th century." 3 Early History of the Motte familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Motte research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1583, 1588, 1686, 1693, 1710 and 1738 are included under the topic Early Motte History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Motte Spelling VariationsBefore the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Motte were recorded, including Mott, Motte, Mote, De Mott, De Motte, Demott and others. Early Notables of the Motte familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - Benjamin Motte, Sr. (died 1710), a London publisher
Motte RankingIn France, the name Motte is the 1,000th most popular surname with an estimated 5,298 people with that name. 4
| Motte migration to the United States | + |
The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Motte arrived in North America very early:
Motte Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Johannes Motte, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1771 5
Motte Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- George Motte, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1807
- P Motte, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
- Clement Motte, who landed in Mississippi in 1854 5
Motte Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Edward Motte, who arrived in Alabama in 1917 5
| Motte migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Motte Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century- Pierre Motte, aged 45, who landed in Quebec in 1658
- Mr. Pierre Motte, French settler travelling to Canada to work for François Peron, arriving on 14th May 1658 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Motte (post 1700) | + |
- Mark Lindsey De Motte (1832-1908), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Indiana 10th District, 1881-83; Member of Indiana State Senate, 1887-89; Postmaster at Valparaiso, Indiana, 1890-94 7
- Robert Motte, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 8
- Louis Charles de La Motte -Ango de Flers, Vicomte de Flers, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 9
- Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, May 6) Robert Motte. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
- Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 27) Louis Motte. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
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