Hi to all the Catts and Kittens,
Cousin W Cary Anderson [the "W" is used in most listings]
asked his mother in the early 1950's about the name. She told him that her father,
J.W. Catt, told her; "My father's grandfather was 17 years old when he came from
Germany, and the name was spelled Katze`s. Eventually, the family started using Catts as
people made a mess of the other spelling." Cary also asked his aunt. She said; My
father told mthat his grandfather`s grandfather came from Germany when he was 17. The
name was spelled Katze.
We have records of his mother and my aunt spelling the name Catt`s. Her brother always
used Catts. We know of no one today who uses the Catts spelling.
Cary found the Katze spelling in a 1574 record. It is spelled Katz and Kaz in the
Germany Church records and Wuerttemberg Emigration Records. The last record we have of
the Katz spelling is in a marriage bond in Louisville, Ky, in 1800 where it is Georg Katz.
We do recall seeing Georg Katz, Jr., who died in the 1850`s use the Katz spelling.
Some used Kats right off in the 1700`s. Some have returne to the Katz spelling in the
mid-1900`s. It was not neccessary to legally change a name. Many courthouse scribes
could spell a name many ways during a probate case. Cary said he once bought a car in
Colombia and they managed to spell his name 18 different ways in the documents.
Happy hunting. Irene