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Hildreth History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Hildreth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Hildreth family

The surname Hildreth was first found in Berkshire, where the family name was first referenced in the year 1375 when William Hildesly held the estates of Bynham or Benham. East Ilsley, again in Berkshire, was an ancient family seat. "This place was originally called Hildesley, as appears from an inscription on a brass plate in the church, where the name occurs as belonging to an ancient family." 1

Early History of the Hildreth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hildreth research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1538, 1698, 1705, 1710, 1720, 1723, 1724 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Hildreth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hildreth 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 Hildreth include Hildersley, Hilderley, Hilderly, Hildesly, Hildesley, Hylderly, Hylderly, Hyldersley, Hylderley, Hildreth and many more.

Early Notables of the Hildreth family

Distinguished members of the family include John Hilsey or Hildesleigh d. 1538), Bishop of Rochester who is stated by Wood to have belonged to the Hildsleys of Benham, Berkshire, a branch of the Hildsleys of Hildsley, Berkshire. 2 Mark Hildesley (1698-1772), was Bishop of Sodor and Man, born at Murston, Kent, on 9 Dec. 1698, the eldest surviving son of Mark Hildesley, rector of Murston and also vicar of Sittingbourne from 1705. "In 1710 the father became...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hildreth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hildreth Ranking

In the United States, the name Hildreth is the 3,648^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Hildreth 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 Hildreth or a variant listed above:

Hildreth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Hildreth, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1643 4

Hildreth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Hildreth, who landed in New England in 1720 4

Hildreth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Luther S Hildreth, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
B. Hildreth, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1894

Hildreth Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

C. H. Hildreth, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
Ellen E. Hildreth, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
Edwin A. Hildreth, who landed in America, in 1908
Eloise Harriet Hildreth, who landed in America, in 1911
Clara Hildreth, aged 32, who settled in America, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hildreth migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hildreth Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Annie E. Hildreth, aged 53, who settled in Hamilton, Canada, in 1920

Hildreth 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:

Hildreth Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Hildreth, aged 35, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe" in 1843

Contemporary Notables of the name Hildreth (post 1700) +

Matthias Bernard Hildreth (1774-1812), American lawyer and politician
Sarah Jones Hildreth (1816-1876), American stage actress
Samuel Clay Hildreth (1866-1929), American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer and owner
Richard Hildreth (1807-1865), United States journalist and historian
Elmer Hildreth, American Republican politician, Candidate for Mayor of Mt. Vernon, New York, 1955 5
David M. Hildreth Jr., American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 12th District, 1888; Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 21st District, 1891 5
Charles B. Hildreth, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 40th District, 1946, 1952 5
Camilla S. Hildreth, American Republican politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Canterbury, 1938 5
Arthur Grant Hildreth (1863-1941), American Republican politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Adair County, 1901-04; Member of Missouri State Senate 9th District, 1925-32 5
Alvin P. Hildreth, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Cape May County, 1886-87 5
... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html