Hemmen Surname History

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

In the Middle Ages, Viking immigrants settled the shores of Scotland and named many places. The Hemmen name was then created from one of these place names. They lived in the Orkneys, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Hemmen family

The surname Hemmen was first found in the Orkneys, where "Hemming was one of the witnesses to the charter by King Duncan 11 to the monks of S. Cuthbert in 1094, the earliest Scottish charter." 1

It is presumed that some of the family moved south to England, as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Henry Hemmeng, Suffolk; John Hemming, Oxfordshire; and John Hemmyng, Kent. 2

The Latin form of the name Hemmingus was listed in the Domesday Book. 3

Hemming (fl. 1096), was an early English chronicler and was sub-prior of Worcester during the episcopate of Bishop Wulstan (d. 1096), at whose request he compiled the chartulary of the church of Worcester, still extant in Hemming's autograph in MS. Cotton. 4

Hemming de Welega was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1166 and later, Walter, William Hemming was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Somerset in 1170. 5

"Hemming or Heming, a name having its present home in the Evesham district, is an Anglo - Saxon Clan name. It was well known in Worcester in the 17th century, Richard Heming being the name of the mayor of the city in 1627 and 1657, and John Heming in 1677 (G.); the name is still in that city. One of the name was buried in Tenbury church in 1691 (N.). It is also now represented in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire, sometimes in the form of Hemmings." 6

Early History of the Hemmen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hemmen research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1602, 1623, 1630, 1653, 1677, 1684, 1695, 1700 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Hemmen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemmen Spelling Variations

Intuition and sound were the primary sources medieval scribes used to judge appropriate spellings and translations for names. The spelling of a name thus varied according to who was doing the recording. The different spelling variations of Hemmen include Hemming, Heming, Hemming, Hemmings, Hemyng and others.

Early Notables of the Hemmen family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was John Heminges (sometimes spelled Heming or Heminge) (1566-1630), an actor in the King's Men, the playing company for which William Shakespeare wrote. He was also co-editor of the First Folio, the collected plays of Shakespeare, published in 1623 and financial manager for the King's Men. A memorial statue of him can be found in London. William Heminges (1602-c.1653), also Hemminges, Heminge, and other variants, was a playwright and theatrical figure of the...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hemmen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemmen migration to the United States +

In their new home, Scots found land and opportunity, and some even fought for their new freedom in the American War of Independence. Some, who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In this century, the ancestors of both of these groups have begun recovering their illustrious national heritage through Clan societies and other Scottish historical organizations. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Hemmen name:

Hemmen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Helen Marg Hemmen, aged 39, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1843 7
Herm Gerh Hemmen, aged 8, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1843 7
Joh Hinr Hemmen, aged 29, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1843 7
Marg Adelh Hemmen, aged 22, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1843 7
Cath Adelh Hemmen, aged 6, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1843 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hemmen (post 1700) +

Emile Hemmen (1923-2021), lyric poet and writer from Luxembourg who lived in Mondorf-les-Bains

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)