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History of the name

Origin

The name GOTTS originates around the Wash, in East Anglia. It has been suggested that there are two origins:

 a glutton - too easy to spot

 someone living by a gutter or drain

Given the location, the whole area was swamp, marsh, flooded, so anyone living there could easily be given this name.

There are records of a Richard Gottes in 1361, a bishop in one of the Norfolk churches.

During the 1800's people moved up the coast to settle in the main trading ports:

Hull, Middlesborough, Tyneside. The main area is still Norfolk. Further migration took place to USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The name GOTT

The name GOTT seems to originate in the same area, but didn't have the 'S'. they moved up into Lincolnshire and then to Yorkshire.

The 'S' often gets dropped from Gotts to become Gott, so census records, etc  have errors.

There is also a case of the 'S' being added: John Gotts of Aldermaston, was originally a Gott, but because parcels from London were entitled for the Gott's, they ended up being known as Gotts.

When you look at the Ellis Island records for New York, there are a number of Gotz from Germany included under Gotts, so more room for change there.

Other sources

There is a rumour of Gotts's coming from Germany, and a marriage to a German princess, but I have found no evidence of it yet. (Feel free to send any if you have it!)

Famous people

I am still looking for any famous Gotts's. There is an official hero in the Bacton family, Charles, who saved a boy when a well they were digging collapsed and he died. He received the Carnegie Hero's Trust Medal for bravery: maybe YOU know where it is.

American Civil War

In 1861, August 7 there were Gotts's in the Douglas County Home Guards, 75 men based in Vera Cruz, Indiana. William Gotts and John Gotts were listed as Union troops under General Lyons. They disbanded on 13 October 1861 and joined Colonel Phelps Missouri Volunteers at Rolla.

Gotts places and dates

To see where Gotts's lived in Norfolk click here:

To see some of the names and dates in history then click here:

Click here to see