Show ContentsHernon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Hernon was spawned by the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture that ruled a majority of Britain. It comes from Herman or Hermannus. [1] The names are really the same; it was a common practice for scribes to record a given name in the Latin style, where us is the masculine suffix. The personal name meant warrior having derived from the Old French word hermant, or from the Old German words hariman or hereman, all of which meant "warrior." [1]

This name came to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest in 1066. However, not all of the family moved to England as Ralph, William, Richard and Hugh Herman were all listed in Normandy in 1180. [2]

Early Origins of the Hernon family

The surname Hernon was first found in Norfolk where Willelmus Harmannus, who was listed in 1208 in the St. Benet of Holme (1020-1240), is generally considered to be the first record of the name. Another branch was found in Sussex where William de Hermer was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Sussex in 1207. Simone Haremere was listed in the Subsidy Rolls in Sussex in 1296, and later, William Harmere was listed in 1428. [1]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings using older spellings: Nicholas Herman in Suffolk; and Cecilia Hereman in Huntingdonshire.

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Thomas Herman and Ricardus Harman as residing there at that time. [3]

Haremere Hall near Etchingham, East Sussex was home to this branch since the 12th century. By the 1600's the hall had fallen from their hands and was held by James Temple, one of the judges at the trial of King Charles I. Today it is now a Grade I listed Jacobean building and is still held in private hands.

Early History of the Hernon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hernon research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1101, 1440, 1480, 1535, 1547, 1549, 1567, 1621, 1640, 1646 and 1673 are included under the topic Early Hernon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hernon Spelling Variations

Hernon has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Hernon have been found, including Harman, Harmon, Harriman, Herman, Hernon, Hermanson, Harnum and many more.

Early Notables of the Hernon family

Distinguished members of the family include William Horman (c. 1440-1535), headmaster at Eton and Winchester, best known for his Latin grammar textbook the Vulgaria. He was born at Salisbury, and educated partly at Winchester. [4]Thomas Harman (fl. 1567), was an English writer on beggars, grandson of Henry Harman, clerk of the crown under Henry VII, who obtained about 1480 the estates of Ellam and Maystreet in Kent. Thomas's father, William Harman, added to these estates the manor of Mayton or Maxton in the same county. As his father's heir, Thomas inherited all this...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hernon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hernon family to Ireland

Some of the Hernon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hernon migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hernons to arrive on North American shores:

Hernon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jaques Hernon, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 [5]

Australia Hernon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hernon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Anne Hernon, aged 20, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Fortune" [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Hernon (post 1700) +

  • Thomas H. Hernon (1866-1902), American Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Colts in 1897
  • Marcus Hernon (b. 1959), Irish flute player, composer and flute maker
  • James "Jimmy" Hernon (1924-2009), Scottish footballer who played from 1942 through 1957


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  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)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. 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)
  6. South Australian Register Thursday 8th June 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Fortune 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/fortune1854.shtml


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