Show ContentsSitter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Sitter family

The surname Sitter was first found in Northumberland where this royal family claim direct descent from Seawald, and through him, from Ida, the Saxon King of Northumberland in the eighth century. 1

The Sitwells of the north have been seated at Barmoor Castle in Northumberland since 1791 when it was acquired by inheritance by Francis Hurt Sitwell. Some people believe that Sidwell, Latin (Sativola) was a virgin saint from the English county of Devon and was possibly of Brythonic or Anglo-Saxon origin. Sidwell was an ancient personal name and a church at Exeter is dedicated to St. Sidwell. 1

Early History of the Sitter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sitter research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1626, 1653, 1667, 1728, 1753, 1769, 1777, 1793, 1797, 1808, 1811, 1820, 1853, 1862, 1890, 1927 and 1946 are included under the topic Early Sitter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sitter Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Sittwell, Sitwell, Sithwell, Sidwell, Sidewell and others.

Early Notables of the Sitter family

Distinguished members of the family include Francis Sitwell of Barmoor Castle; and George Sitwell (1601-1667), English landowner and ironmaster from Eckington in Derbyshire, he built Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire in 1626, later he would become High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1653.Sir Sitwell Sitwell, 1st Baronet (1769-1811) was a British politician and landowner. he...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sitter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Sitter migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sitter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anton Sitter, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1893
  • Josef Sitter, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893
  • Anna Sitter, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
  • Emil Sitter, aged 17, who landed in America, in 1896
Sitter Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Kath. Sitter, aged 59, who settled in America, in 1904
  • Barbara Sitter, aged 2, who settled in America from Col Kandel, Russia, in 1906
  • Louis Sitter, aged 47, who immigrated to the United States, in 1913

Sitter 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:

Sitter Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • J Sitter, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1845

Contemporary Notables of the name Sitter (post 1700) +

  • Carl Leonard Sitter (1922-2000), United States Marine Corps officer, who received the Medal of Honor for valiant leadership during the Korean War
  • Valeria M. Sitter, American politician, Representative from Wisconsin 6th District, 1972 2
  • L. Oard Sitter, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Union County Democratic Party, 1950; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1964 2
  • Lamoraal Ulbo de Sitter (1902-1980), Dutch geologist at Leiden University, where he was the founder of the school of structural geology
  • Willem De Sitter (1872-1934), Dutch astronomer and mathematician


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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