Contents [hide]

Hemphill History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Hemphill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The chronicles of the Hemphill family show that the name was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for a person who lived in Galston, in the county of Ayrshire. 1

Early Origins of the Hemphill family

The surname Hemphill was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, 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.

Early History of the Hemphill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hemphill research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1689, 1704, 1716, 1718, 1741 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hemphill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemphill Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Hemphill has been spelled Hemphill, Hempill, Hempsill, Hempshall, Hemshall and many more.

Early Notables of the Hemphill family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Samuel Hemphill (d. 1741), Irish Presbyterian minister, a native of Ulster, and probably trained for the ministry in one of the Presbyterian academies in the north of Ireland...

Hemphill Ranking

In the United States, the name Hemphill is the 1,972^nd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Hemphill family to Ireland

Some of the Hemphill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hemphill migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

Hemphill Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nathaniel Hemphill, who arrived in New England in 1728 3
Samuel Hemphill, who settled in Philadelphia in 1734
David Hemphill, who arrived in New England in 1769 3
Christiana Frederica Hemphill, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 3
John Hemphill, who settled in New Jersey in 1792
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hemphill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Hemphill, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 3
Joseph Hemphill, aged 20, who landed in Maryland in 1812 3
Matthew Hemphill, aged 24, who landed in Delaware in 1813 3
Hugh Hemphill, who landed in Mississippi in 1838 3
Samuel Hemphill, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hemphill migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hemphill Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Martha Hemphill, aged 11, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
William Hemphill, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
Magy Hemphill, aged 39, a spinster, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
Margaret Hemphill, aged 37, a spinster, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
Alexander Hemphill, aged 38, a weaver, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hemphill 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:

Hemphill Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Hemphill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 4
Margaret Hemphill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 4
Edward Hemphill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 4
Robert Hemphill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 4
Margaret Elizabeth Hemphill, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hemphill (post 1700) +

Doug Hemphill, American two-time Academy Award winning and multiple Academy Award nominated sound mixer who has worked on more than 140 films
William V. Hemphill (b. 1897), American Democratic Party politician, Automobile dealer; Dairy business; Mayor of Franklin, Indiana, 1943-44
William A. Hemphill, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, 1891-93
Thomas Hemphill, American politician, Postmaster at Clearfield, Pennsylvania, 1823-38
S. Hemphill, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1868
Sue V. Hemphill, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Clay Center, Kansas, 1944-59 (acting, 1944-45)
Robert Witherspoon Hemphill (1915-1983), American Democratic Party politician, Member of South Carolina State House of Representatives, 1947-48; U.S. Representative from South Carolina 5th District, 1957-64; Judge of U.S. District Court, 1964
Marguerite Flower Hemphill, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1928, 1936, 1948
Paul Hemphill Jr., American politician, Member of South Carolina State Senate from Chester County, 1965-66
Lawrence Hemphill, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from District of Columbia, 2000
... (Another 27 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Hemphill Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Constanter ac non timide
Motto Translation: With constancy, not timidity.

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)
"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 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html