Origin of the surname Dewitt

Recorded as De Wit, De Witt, De Witte, Dewett and Dewitt, this is a surname of Flemish or Dutch origins. Derived from the German and Anglo-Saxon word "hwita", it is one of the many spellings of the popular surname 'White' which exists in every Northern European county. There are several possible reasons for its development. The most popular option is claimed to be a nickname, from the popular medieval practice of creating a surname from a physical characteristic of a person, in this case somebody with fair hair, or pale complexion.

Recent research suggests that this was probably nationalistic, and may even have been a derogatory description of the pre 7th century Norse and Danish Viking invaders who poured down through Northern Europe in the period of history known paradoxically as "The Dark Ages." This was roughly the 5th to the 10th century a.d. However it is also true to say that "Hwita" was also used as a baptismal name, which implied something pure and unsullied. In the Netherlands of the 17th century the name was the most well known in the land. It came to be synonymous with power struggles between the civil authorities represented by Jan De Witt (1625 - 1672) and his brother Cornelius, who each held the rank of Grand Pensionaries in the then republic of the states of Holland, and William 11nd, prince of Orange, the hereditary stadtholder or president. William was successful and the De Witt brothers paid with their lives. The name has been recorded in England for many centuries, reflecting the ties between the countries, examples of the recordings being that of Richard Dewit, a witness at the church of St Margarets Lothbury, in the city of London, on May 7th 1564, and the marriage of Guilbert De Witt to Katharine Chaplain, at the church of St. Katherine's by the Tower (of London), on October 10th 1686. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

The surname Dewitt. Genealogy, origin, history, meaning, and significance

Discovering the historical roots of dewitt is deeply interesting, as it takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who established this lineage. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname dewitt is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.

The surname Dewitt around the world

Although surnames have a specific origin at a certain time and region of the planet, many of them have spread far and wide across the world for various reasons, as is the case with the surname dewitt. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname dewitt provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.

History of Dewitt

The historical chronicle of dewitt is based on a striking series of events that were led by those who have carried this surname throughout history. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname dewitt, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of dewitt developed.

We suggest that if you want to learn more about the surname dewitt, try to locate it through the bibliographic sources we suggest. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about dewitt and send it to us, we will update it on this website.

Notable Figures Named Dewitt

It's more than likely that there have been some distinguished dewitts throughout human history. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname dewitt were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname dewitt who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.

The surname Dewitt and its bibliographic sources

Thanks to a significant bibliographic review, we have so far compiled information on the heraldry, history, and genealogy of dewitt. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of dewitt are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.

SOURCES

These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of dewitt, and at the same time, of surnames in general.

Origin of Dewitt