| ![Show Contents]() Hemsworth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
When the ancestors of the Hemsworth family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in the town of Hemsworth in Yorkshire. The place-name was recorded in the Domesday Book as Hilmeuurod and Hamelsuurde. It was originally derived from the Old English personal name Hymel and the Old English word word, which means enclosure. 1 2 The personal name Hymel is a short form of names such as Hunbeald, which means bear-cub bold, and Hunbeorht, which means bear-cub bright. Thus, the name Hemsworth changed dramatically over time. Surnames rarely appeared in their modern form in ancient chronicles. In the 11th and 12th centuries, it was common practice to Latinize names in official records. The modern spelling of a surname is usually related to the phonetic spelling of that name that was developed during the 17th or 18th century. Early Origins of the Hemsworth familyThe surname Hemsworth was first found in Yorkshire at Hemsworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire. At the taking of the Domesday Book survey, initiated by Duke William in the year 1086 after his conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in the year 1066, Hemsworth was held by Gamel, a Norman noble, who held it from the tenant-in-chief Ilbert de Lacy. Conjecturally, the Hemsworth line is descended from this source. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Harmondsworth, a parish in Middlesex. 3 The first record of the family was Adam de Himeswurth who was listed in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219. 2 Early History of the Hemsworth familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hemsworth research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1621 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Hemsworth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hemsworth Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Hemsworth have been found, including Hamsworth, Harmsworth, Hemsworth and others. Early Notables of the Hemsworth familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was  Migration of the Hemsworth family to Ireland
Some of the Hemsworth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Hemsworth migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Hemsworth were among those contributors:
Hemsworth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Hemsworth, who landed in Maryland in 1659 4
Hemsworth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- William Hemsworth who landed in North America in 1700
| Contemporary Notables of the name Hemsworth (post 1700) | + |
- Chris Hemsworth (b. 1983), Australian actor, best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Studios films Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012)
- Gerard Hemsworth (1945-2021), British contemporary artist and painter, winner of the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Charles Wollaston Prize with his work 'Between Heaven and Hell' in 2000
- Albert Wade Hemsworth (1916-2002), Canadian folk singer and songwriter
- Luke Hemsworth (b. 1981), Australian actor, best known for his role as Nathan Tyson in the soap opera series Neighbours
- Liam Hemsworth (b. 1990), Australian actor, best known for his role as Josh Taylor in the soap opera Neighbours
| Historic Events for the Hemsworth family | + |
- Mr. William Hemsworth (1877-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 5
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: Manus haec inimica tyrannis
Motto Translation: This hand is hostile to tyrants.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
- Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
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Hemsworth migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
