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Halliwell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Halliwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Halliwell has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived near a holy spring having derived from the Old English terms halli, which meant holy, and welle, which meant spring. 1

There are several place-names that are also derived from these words, including Halliwell in Lancashire, Holwell in Dorset and Oxfordshire, and Holywell and Northumberland.

Early Origins of the Halliwell family

The surname Halliwell was first found in Lancashire at Halliwell, a township, and ecclesiastical district, in the parish of Deane, union of Bolton, hundred of Salford. " The first mention of Halliwell occurs in the 17th year of the reign of John, when the abbot of Cockersand had an exemption from fines and amerciaments, by a charter of that date from the king." 2

Hollowell is a hamlet, in the parish and hundred of Guilsborough, union of Brixworth, S. division of the county of Northampton. "The former of these two places has made Halliwell a familiar surname in South Lancashire." 3

However, by the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 the name was scattered throughout ancient Britain: Adam de Holewell, Norfolk; Simon de Holewell, Bedfordshire; John de Holowell, Buckinghamshire; Godfrey de Haliwell, London; and Richard de Holewell, Huntingdonshire. 3

In Somerset, John de Holewell and Edith atte Holywelle were both listed 1 Edward III (in other words during the first year of King Edward III's reign). 4

Further to the south in Devon, the Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I listed William de Halegewelle. 5

Later in Scotland, Halywell is mentioned in Berwick Retours and Thomas de Halywell was superior of the Abbey of Kelso in 1465. "Robert Halywell was notary public in St. Andrews diocese, 1473. Thomas Halywell, a Scot born at Grynlawe, in 1480 had letters of denization in England, John Halywell was killed in 1535 and William Halywell was burgess of Linlithgow, 1537." 6

Early History of the Halliwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Halliwell research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1535, 1548, 1564, 1649, 1655, 1676, 1686 and 1744 are included under the topic Early Halliwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Halliwell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Halliwell have been found, including Halliwell, Halligwell, Haliwell and others.

Early Notables of the Halliwell family

Notables of the family at this time include

Oibert Halliwell of Halliwell; and Edward Halliwell, English fellow of King's College, Cambridge from 1535 to 1548 who wrote the lost tragedy, Dido, which was performed before Queen Elizabeth I during...

Halliwell migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Halliwell, or a variant listed above:

Halliwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Bernard Halliwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1658 7

Halliwell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Halliwell, who settled in New York State in 1774

Halliwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Halliwell, aged 28, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1868 7

Halliwell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Beatrice Halliwell, aged 11, who immigrated to America from Manchester, in 1904
Albert A Halliwell, aged 21, who landed in America from Middleton, England, in 1907
Alfred Halliwell, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Bristol, England, in 1910
Elizabeth Halliwell, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States from Pemberton, England, in 1911
Frederick Halliwell, aged 24, who landed in America from Farnsworth, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Halliwell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Halliwell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Halliwell, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. James Halliwell, (Fleshania, Lewis, Haharen)1811, English weaver who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1852 9
Mr. William Halliwell who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. John Halliwell who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. John Halliwell, English convict who was convicted in Salford, Great Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Halliwell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Halliwell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Halliwell, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 12
Frank Halliwell, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864
Mr. Halliwell, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Warrior Queen" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1874 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Halliwell (post 1700) +

Stephen Harold Halliwell (1946-2023), English actor, known for portraying the role of Zak Dingle in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 1994 until his death in 2023
Henry Halliwell (1765-1835), English classical scholar, son of William Halliwell, master of the Burnley grammar school, and incumbent of Holme, born at Burnley, Lancashire, on 25 Aug. 1765 13
David Halliwell (b. 1948), former English cricketer
Stephen "Steve" Halliwell (b. 1962), English-born, Australian professional rugby league footballer
Joel Halliwell VC (1881-1958), English recipient of the Victoria Cross for his gallantry at the Third Battle of the Aisne in World War I
Danny Halliwell (b. 1981), English professional rugby league footballer
Bryn Stephen Halliwell (b. 1980), English football goalkeeper
Ernest Austin Halliwell (1864-1919), English first-class cricketer, who played eight Test matches for South Africa between 1892 and 1902
Joseph Adam Halliwell (1892-1964), English professional footballer
Nigel Halliwell, English landscape photographer
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020