Herson Surname History

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Herson comes from when its first bearer worked as a guardian of cattle or sheep. The surname Herson is derived from the Old English word hierde, which means herd, and the patronymic suffix -son. Thus, the name Herson literally means "son of the herdsman." 1

Early Origins of the Herson family

The surname Herson was first found in Lancashire, on the west coast near Lythom-St. Annes, where they were associated with Furness Abbey. They were a prominent family here from very early times.

In Essex, Robert Herdesman was listed at Colchester in 1367. 2

Early History of the Herson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herson research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1597, 1621, 1649, 1651, 1660 and 1685 are included under the topic Early Herson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herson Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Herson include Herdson, Hirdson, Heardson, Hurdson, Herson and others.

Early Notables of the Herson family

Distinguished members of the family include Henry Herdson (fl. 1651), English writer on mnemonics, probably received part of his education at Cambridge, as he terms that university his 'dearest mother.' He styled himself professor of the art of memory by public authority in the University of Cambridge. Afterwards he taught his art in London at the...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herson migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Herson or a variant listed above:

Herson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Herson, who landed in Virginia in 1714 3

Herson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sarah Herson, who sailed to New York in 1820

Herson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Herson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Benjamin Herson U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Herson (post 1700) +

Joseph Herson, American actor, known for his work on One, Two, Guess Who's Who (2017), Sarah Q (2018) and Too Proud to Die (2016)
Jonathan Herson, American actor, known for Sweating Bullets (1991), The Finest Hour (1992) and Leil Klulot (1994)
Steve Herson, American actor, known for Captive State (2019), Colombiana (2011) and Chicago P.D. (2014)
Ira Herson, American actor, known for Number 96 (1972)
Ben Herson, American actor, known for Praxis (2008)
Michael H. Herson, American lobbyist and consultant for the United States defense industry, and serves as the president and chief executive officer of American Defense International (ADI), recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 1993
Leslie Herson (1942-2008), born Leslie Bambi Fishman, an American businesswoman and artist, known for creating the cult vintage store Love Saves The Day or LSD, which operated in New York City's East Village from 1966 until 2009
Mike Herson, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New Jersey 6th District, 1994 5
Mary Herson, French actress, known for Once in a Lifetime (2014)

Historic Events for the Herson family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Harry Herson, British Boy Signalman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 6

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html