Originating from the early personal name Michael, and recorded in many diminutive spellings such as Machel, Matchell, Matsell, and Machet, Madgett, Matchet, Matchett and possibly others, this is an surname of English and Scottish origins. Introduced into Western Europe by returning knights and pilgrims of the famous Crusades to free the Holy Land in the 12th century, it derives from the medieval Hebrew and Biblical name "Michel", meaning "He who is like the Lord". The name is first recorded in circa 1160, when one Michaelis de Areci appears in the Danelaw Documents of the city of London, and Michel de Whepstede in the Subsidy Tax rolls of Suffolk in 1327.
The Royal Registers of England for the year 1219 have the entry of William Michel. He was paid three pence per day, probably now equivalent to 50 or $80, for keeping two of the Kings' wolfhounds, whilst Willelmus Machet appears in the Poll Tax rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. Other early church recordings include Mary Matchett who married Franzes Pickerin as spelt, at St James Clerkenwell in 1670, Richard Saunders who married Mary Matchitt at St Georges Chapel, Hanover Square, Westminster, in 1736, whilst Fanny Matsell married George Phillips, at St Leonards Shoreditch, on August 13th 1792. A coat of arms associated with the surname has the blazon of a black shield, charged with an escallop between three gold birds' heads erased. The first recorded spelling of the family name may be that of Gilbert Michel. This was dated 1205, in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northumberland, during the reign of King John of England, 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Research into the possible origins of matchitt leads us to learn more about those who bear this surname. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname matchitt is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.
There is a considerable probability that matchitt has crossed the borders of its place of origin to establish itself, to a greater or lesser extent, in other parts of the world. With all the information we have today, it can be said that the countries where matchitt is most abundant are the following. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname matchitt provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
The deeds, the way of life, the places they lived, the family relationships they had, the jobs they held by those who were the first to be named matchitt are found in every look back in the history of this lineage. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname matchitt, 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 matchitt developed.
It is common for genealogy and surname enthusiasts to provide us with information of special value, so the data we offer about the origins of matchitt could be modified. 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 matchitt and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
We assume that there have been significant contributions to humanity made by individuals with the surname matchitt, even though not all have been documented to our present day. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname matchitt were recorded by the chroniclers of the time.
The bibliography collects information related to the surname matchitt, which allows us to learn more about its meaning. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of matchitt are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of matchitt, and at the same time, of surnames in general.