Show ContentsHeyde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Heyde is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived at the hide or at the residence close by. Heyde is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Heyde family

The surname Heyde was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England. A hide is a feudal portion of land that was measured by the quality of land, not its size. In other words, a hide was so much land as "with its house and toft, right of common, and other appurtenances, was considered to be sufficient for the necessities of a family." 1

Urmston in Lancashire is a point of interest to the family. "A family of the local name is mentioned as holding lands here as early as the reign of King John. About the time of Henry IV, Raff Hyde married the heiress of Adam Urmston, and thus obtained the estate." 2

"Here [in Woodford, Wiltshire] was a palace of the bishops of Salisbury, but no traces of it are now visible. Charles II, after the battle of Worcester, was concealed in Heale House, in the parish, at that time the residence of the Hyde family." 2

Hyde in Cheshire was another ancient family seat. "So early as the reign of John, a part of the manor of Hyde was held by a family of the same name, of which the great Lord Chancellor Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was a descendant; the remaining portion was acquired by them in the reign of Edward III." 2

Early History of the Heyde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heyde research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1609, 1617, 1627, 1631, 1637, 1638, 1641, 1665, 1667, 1671, 1674, 1709, 1711, 1712, 1713 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Heyde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heyde Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Heyde are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Heyde include: Hyde, Hide and others.

Early Notables of the Heyde family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Anne Hyde (1637-1671), Duchess of York and Albany as the first wife of James, Duke of York (later King James II and VII); Frances Hyde, Countess of Clarendon (1617-1667), an English peeress, the mother-in-law of James II of England; Henry Hyde 2nd Earl of Clarendon PC (1638-1709), an English aristocrat and politician; Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester KG PC (1641-1711), an English statesman and writer; Edward...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heyde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Heyde family to Ireland

Some of the Heyde family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Heyde migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Heyde or a variant listed above:

Heyde Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Jost Heyde, who landed in Virginia in 1717 3
  • Philip Heyde, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 3
  • Joh Henrich Heyde, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 3
Heyde Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Anna VonDer Heyde, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 3
  • Otto Heyde, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1850 3
  • Christian Heyde, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1850 3
  • Heinrich Heyde, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1850 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Heyde (post 1700) +

  • J. H. Heyde, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Ohio State House of Representatives from Holmes County; Elected 1897 4
  • Robert Van Heyde, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1972 5
  • Renee L. Van Heyde, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1972 5
  • Joseph J. Van Heyde, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1944 5


The Heyde 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: Deus novis haec otio fecit
Motto Translation: God hath given us these things in tranquillity.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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