Slat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Slat

What does the name Slat mean?

The illustrious surname Slat finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Slat is a local type of surname and the Slat family lived in Cornwall. Their name, however, is derived from the Old English word slaed, meaning valley, and indicates that the original bearer of the name lived in a valley. 1

"This word has been variously defined as a valley, a hollow, a den, a hanging wood, a plain, a breadth of green land in fields and plantations." 2

Slade or Slad is "a hamlet, partly in the parish of Painswick, and partly in that of Stroud, union of Stroud, hundred of Bisley, E. division of the county of Gloucester." 3

Early Origins of the Slat family

The surname Slat was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from very early times.

"About the year 1600, [the Trevascus estate in the parish of Gorrran] passed with its heiress to the Hoblyns, of whose descendant, the Rev. Robert Hoblyn, it was purchased by William Slade Gully, Esq. the late proprietor. The barton house has been demolished. Trevenen, the seat of the late W. S. Gully, Esq. has been the residence of his ancestors the Slades, from the days of Elizabeth." 4

"Slade, [Devon] with its fine hall, once the seat of the family of that name, has long been the residence of the Spurrells, and their descendants, the Podes." 5 Unfortunately, no dates were given with this last quote. In Devon, William Slade was Warden of St Mary's College, Ottery St Mary in 1397.

Early rolls including entries for Sabern de la Slade in Essex in 1255, according to the Feet of Fines. There was a Manx entry for Reginald atte Slade in 1306 and Walter in the Salde was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 6

In Somerset, Henry atte Slade was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III' reign.) 7 "The Slades of Somerset take the name of a hamlet in the county." 8 The Close Rolls of 1346 include John atte Slade. 9

Early History of the Slat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Slat research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1380, 1569, 1574, 1596, 1597, 1615, 1628, 1645 and 1689 are included under the topic Early Slat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Slat Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Slade, Slader and others.

Early Notables of the Slat family

Notable amongst the family at this time was William Slade (fl. 1380), English philosopher, a Cistercian monk of Buckfastleigh, Devonshire; Matthew Slade (1569-1628?), English divine, born at...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Slat Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Slat family to Ireland

Some of the Slat family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Slat family

An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Slat: George Slade who settled in Virginia in 1654; William Slade settled in Barbados in 1660; Edward Slade settled in Virginia in 1670; Mathew Slader settled in Barbados in 1670.

The Slat 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: Fidus et audax
Motto Translation: Faithful and bold.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print