Hat is an Anglo-Saxon name. The name was originally given to a person who made or sold hats. The surname Hat is derived from the Old English word hætt, which means hat.Occupational names frequently were derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames. The surname Hat may also be derived from residence by a hill, since the Old English word hætt, also means hill. Hathitch Farm and Hathouse Farm are both in Worcestershire, and may be sources of the surname Hat.
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Early Origins of the Hat family
The surname Hat was first found in Dorset where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
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Early History of the Hat family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hat research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1148, 1279, 1327, 1599, 1636, 1658 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Hat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hat Spelling Variations
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Hat has appeared include Hatt, Hat and others.
Early Notables of the Hat family
Distinguished members of the family include
John Hatt, Esq., (1599-1658), of Leckhampstead, London & Orsett. Attorney of the Guildhall, London
Migration of the Hat family
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Hat arrived in North America very early: John Hatt who arrived in Virginia in 1652; Elizabeth Hatt arrived in Virginia in 1677; Thomas Hatt settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.
England
