This interesting name, with variant spellings Caret, Carrett, Charette etc., derives from the Old French "Char(r)ette", a diminutive of "char(re)", from the late Latin "Carra", a cart, and was originally given as a metonymic occupational name to a maker of carts. In some instances, the name may have originated as a nickname for someone who owned a wheeled vehicle in an area where pack mules were the usual means of transporting people or goods. The surname is well recorded in London church registers from the mid 16th Century, many of the namebearers being French Huguenots who entered England to escape religious persecutions in their own country. On October 20th 1639, Esaye, son of Jean Carette, was christened in the French Huguenot church, Threadneedle street, and on October 24th 1647 Jenne Caret, an infant, was christened in that church also. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Carrette, (christening), which was dated March 13th 1565, in the "St. Giles Cripplegate", London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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