ORCUTT Origins – Daniel Heath Orcutt – Part I

Urquhart Castle near Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland

Family surnames are often recognizable as belonging to a particular nationality. When you see the name “Schmidt,” you think German, “Davoust”- French, and Caravaggio -Italian. But what nationality comes to mind when you see “ORCUTT”? Ancestry.com states the name is English (Staffordshire), but the meaning is unknown. The website geni.com states, “Orcutt is a fairly rare name. It seems to be based on location rather than occupation.” There are also variations in the spelling: ORCUTT, ORCUT, ORCOTT, ORCHUTE, URCHARD, URCHAR, URQUHART, ORQUART. The Urquhart spelling is Scottish and linked to Fife and near Loch Ness. A Scottish Clan, Clan Chief, and a castle ruin have such a romantic appeal. I prefer the Scottish heritage origins, and since I already have MacDonalds and Beatons from Scotland, Orcutt ties in quite nicely.

Urquhart Castle Loch-side ruined 16th-century fortress

Ancestry.com has surname maps where you can discover the meaning and history behind your last name.

• Meaning and History
• Where your family lived in the U.S. and U.K.
• Average life expectancy
• When your family immigrated to the U.S.
• Common Occupations

In 1840 Orcutt families in the United States settled in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Orcutt name distribution 1840 United States

In 1891 Orcutt families in England lived primarily in London and Warwickshire.

Orcutt name distribution from the 1891 England and Wales census.

The 1841 census of Scotland shows the Urquhart families concentrated in Ross, Cromarty, and Aberdeenshire.

Urquhart family name distribution 1841 Scotland census data

The first male Orcutt in America, William,  was either Scottish or English. One theory is that his family fled persecution in Scotland, settled in Warwickshire, England, and then immigrated to America. In 1663 William Orcutt and Mary Martha Lane were married in Hingham, Massachusetts.  For more information about William’s heritage, Myrtle Orcutt has an informative blog: Sugden, B. Orcutt Family History. 

Like William, my Orcutt ancestor’s background is in question. Daniel Heath Orcutt, my 3rd great-grandfather, was born in 1809 in Washington county, New York. Was his father, William Orcutt (b. 1776 CT – d. 1859 NY)?  OR Was his father  John (b. 1773 CT – d. c. 1840 NY)? William’s wife is unknown, and John may have married Philinda Heath.

Whoever his parents were, Daniel Heath Orcutt carried the adventurous genes of his forebearers, crossing land and sea to fulfill his dreams. In 1836,  27-year-old Daniel bid farewell to the comfort and safety of a familiar home, family, and friends. What motivated Daniel to journey west to Illinois, California, across the isthmus of Panama, through the southern states, and then to Iowa?

© 2015 copyright Kendra Hopp Schmidt. All rights reserved.

Genealogy Sketch

Name: Daniel Heath ORCUTT
Parents: William ORCUTT and unknown wife or John ORCUTT and Philinda HEATH? 
Spouse: Angelina PERKINS
Children: Ann Maria, Nelson, Henry, Clinton, Jennie Martha
Relationship to Kendra: 3rd great grandfather

1. Daniel Heath ORCUTT
2. Clinton Delos ORCUTT
3. Edith Marion BEATON ORCUTT UTENDORFER
4. Anna Jane BEATON HYDE
5. Jean HYDE HOPP EICHORN
6. Kendra