Hardesty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Hardesty belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the village of Hardisty Hill located in the parish of Fewston, in the county of Yorkshire. In it's Old English form this place-name was originally Hardolfsty with its origin in the name Hardulf. "The Hardistys hail from the parish of Fewston, seven miles from Otley. The name is still familiar there, and Hardisty Hill is a spot there. The Hardistys (chiefly farmers) have probably not moved from their home for six centuries." 1

Early Origins of the Hardesty family

The surname Hardesty was first found in Yorkshire, where the first record was of John de Hardolfsty who was listed as a Freeman of York in 1379. Later, William Hardosty was listed as a freeman in 1450 and John Hardesty was later listed as freeman in 1659. 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include entries for Johannes de Hardolfsty and Stephanus de Hardolfsty. "These instances come from Timble Great (Villa de Tymble), a village in the parish of Fewston. The little stock has ramified well. Many of our largest represented surnames hail from a single pair located in a small spot. A large family of boys, who marry, and beget boys, soon sets the ball rolling." 1

Early History of the Hardesty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hardesty research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1379 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Hardesty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hardesty Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Hardesty include Hardisty, Hardesty, Hardistry, Hardest and others.

Early Notables of the Hardesty family

More information is included under the topic Early Hardesty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hardesty Ranking

In the United States, the name Hardesty is the 3,188^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3

Hardesty migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Hardesty were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Hardesty Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Hardesty, who landed in Maryland in 1662 4
Cecilia Hardesty, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 4

Hardesty Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Hardesty, aged 33, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 4

Hardesty 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:

Hardesty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Benjamin Hardesty, (b. 1797), aged 60, British labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 5
Miss Elizabeth Hardesty, (b. 1830), aged 27, British nurse travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 5
Mr. Joseph Hardesty, (b. 1852), aged 5, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Hardesty (post 1700) +

Sue A. Hardesty (1933-2022), American author from Buckeye, Arizona, whose writing focused on plots and characters from the Southwestern United States, and social themes of lesbianism and feminism
William T. Hardesty, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Easton, Maryland, 1861-65 6
Thomas W. Hardesty, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Kentucky 5th District, 1950 6
Kenneth Hardesty, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for supervisor of Green Oak Township, Michigan, 1992 6
J. Weldon Hardesty, American politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Monroe County, 1909-10 6
Iva Hardesty, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 1932 6
Charles W. Hardesty, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Delaware, 1924 6
Cecil Donald Hardesty (1907-2000), American politician, Candidate for California superintendent of public instruction, 1962 6
C. Howard Hardesty (b. 1894), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State Senate 14th District, 1941-52; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1956 6
Herbert "Herb" Hardesty (1925-2016), American musician who played tenor saxophone and trumpet
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html