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Hinkley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Hinkley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Hinkley name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Hinkley was originally derived from a family having lived at Hinckley, in Leicestershire. The place-name Hinckley is derived from the Old English personal name Hynca, and leah, an Old English word that meant "forest clearing."

Early Origins of the Hinkley family

The surname Hinkley was first found in Leicestershire at Hinckley, a market town and parish that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Hinchelie. 1

"This place was created a barony soon after the Conquest, and was held by Hugh de Grentismenil, seneschal of England in the reigns of William Rufus and Henry I., who erected a stately castle and a church, and founded a small priory of Benedictine monks, which, before 1173, was granted as a cell to the abbey of Lyra, in Normandy, by Robert Blanchmaines, Earl of Leicester." 2

One of the first records of the family was Anfred de Hinkelai who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1176. A few years later, Roger de Hinckelee was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Wiltshire in 1208 and later again, John de Hynkeley was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire in 1332. 3

Early History of the Hinkley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hinkley research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1322, 1617, 1618, 1634, 1680, 1686, 1695 and 1706 are included under the topic Early Hinkley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hinkley Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hinkley include Hinkley, Hinkler, Hincle, Hinchley, Hinckley and others.

Early Notables of the Hinkley family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hinkley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hinkley Ranking

In the United States, the name Hinkley is the 7,482^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Hinkley migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Hinkley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sam Hinkley, who arrived in New England in 1634 5

Hinkley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ebenezer Hinkley, who settled in Boston in 1765

Hinkley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

R Hinkley, aged 21, who landed in New York, NY in 1849 5
H Hinkley, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5

Hinkley 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:

Hinkley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Goward Hinkley, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863

Contemporary Notables of the name Hinkley (post 1700) +

Tommy Hinkley (b. 1960), American actor, known for The Cable Guy (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994) and Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Brent Hinkley (b. 1962), American television actor
David V. Hinkley, English statistician known for his research in statistical models and inference
Timothy Alan "Tim" Hinkley (b. 1946), English singer-songwriter, keyboardist and record producer
Ken Hinkley (b. 1966), former Australian rules footballer
Clayton Hinkley (b. 1989), Australian rules footballer
Don Hinkley (d. 1981), Canadian screen and television writer best known for his work on the "Muppet Show"

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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)