Gaither History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Gaither

What does the name Gaither mean?

The name Gaither is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was originally a name for someone who worked as a caterer. The surname Gaither was an official name, "the cater," derived from the Old French ale catour, a title meaning a buyer of groceries for the gentleman's house. They were in charge of maintaining provisions in manors and castles. The cater's job assumed a great importance during extended sieges of his lord's castle, which could last for years.

Early Origins of the Gaither family

The surname Gaither was first found in Berkshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. William le Catur who was documented in the year 1273 in Essex and a few years later, Bernard le Acatour was listed in 1300 in Somerset. William Katerer was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379.

Early History of the Gaither family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaither research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1150 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Gaither History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaither Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Gaither 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 Gaither include Cater, Cator, Cather, Catter, Cader and others.

Early Notables of the Gaither family

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

Gaither Ranking

In the United States, the name Gaither is the 2,578^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1

Gaither 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 Gaither or a variant listed above:

Gaither Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Gaither, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 2

Gaither Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Nina Gaither, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
George R. Gaither, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
Margaret H. Gaither, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1909
Mary E. Gaither, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1910
Edward G. Gaither, aged 41, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gaither (post 1700) +

Lieutenant-General Ridgely Gaither (1903-1992), American Commanding General 2nd Army (1960-1962) 3
Nathan Gaither (1788-1862), U.S. Representative from Kentucky
Horace Rowan Gaither Jr. (1909-1961), American attorney, investment banker, administrator at the Ford Foundation
Daniele Gaither (b. 1970), American comic actress, best known for her roles on MADtv
William "Bill" J. Gaither (b. 1936), American singer and songwriter of southern gospel music
Charles D. Gaither, American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from Baltimore city 2nd District, 1888 4
Burgess Sidney Gaither (1807-1892), American politician, Member of North Carolina State Senate, 1844; Candidate for U.S. Representative from North Carolina, 1851, 1853 4
Burgess Gaither (1757-1819), American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Iredell County, 1792, 1796-1801 4
Asa B. F. Gaither, American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Iredell County, 1856-61 4
Ann H. Gaither, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 2000 4
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Gaither family +

USS Indianapolis

Forest Maylon Gaither, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Ridgely Gaither. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Gaither/Ridgely/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew