Show ContentsHamblin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hamblin is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hamblin family lived in Gloucestershire. Their name, however, is local reference of Old French derivation. It is stems from the Old French root hamel, indicating that the original bearer of the name once worked at an outlying farm which was dependent upon a main village. Several areas in Normandy are called Hamelin.

Early Origins of the Hamblin family

The surname Hamblin was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where "three of this name are entered as under-tenants: Hamelin homo Hugonis filii Baldrici in Lincolnshire; Hamelin holding of Roger de Montgomery in Sussex, and also mentioned in Devonshire; and Hamelin of Cornwall. 'Whether Hamelin of Devonshire and Hamelin of Cornwall were the same person, does not appear. In the latter county Hamelin held twenty-two manors under the Earl of Mortaine. He is supposed to have been the ancestor of the Trelawny family, and to have resided at Treloen, one of the manors described in the Survey as his property." 1

Early History of the Hamblin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamblin research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1105, 1129, 1148, 1202, 1275, 1533, 1534 and 1539 are included under the topic Early Hamblin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamblin Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Hamblin are characterized by many spelling variations. 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. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Hamblin include Hamelin, Hamelyn, Hamelen, Hamelyng, Hamelyne and others.

Early Notables of the Hamblin family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hamblin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamblin Ranking

In the United States, the name Hamblin is the 3,060th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2

Ireland Migration of the Hamblin family to Ireland

Some of the Hamblin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hamblin migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Hamblin, or a variant listed above:

Hamblin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas S Hamblin, who landed in New York, NY in 1835 3
  • J W Hamblin, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
  • Charles Hamblin, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
  • S C Hamblin, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 3

Canada Hamblin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hamblin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. David Hamblin U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 4
  • Mr. Silas Hamblin Sr., U.E. who settled in Elizabeth Town [Elizabethtown], Leeds County, Ontario c. 1784 4
  • Mr. William Hamblin U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 4
  • David Hamblin, whose loyalist oath of allegiance was recorded in Ontario, Canada in 1796

Australia Hamblin migration to Australia +

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

Hamblin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Henry Hamblin, aged 29, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Standard" 5
  • John Hamblin (aged 25), a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Eliza"

New Zealand Hamblin 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:

Hamblin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Hamblin, (b. 1839), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Edward Thornhill" arriving in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand in 1862 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Hamblin (post 1700) +

  • William J. Hamblin, professor of history at Brigham Young University
  • T J Hamblin (b. 1943), Professor of Immunohaematology at the University of Southampton
  • Joseph Eldridge Hamblin (1828-1870), American general during the Civil War
  • Jacob Hamblin (1819-1886), American pioneer and missionary
  • Onita Hamblin, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kansas, 1996 7
  • Neldon E. Hamblin, American politician, Mayor of Clearfield, Utah, 1989 7
  • M. E. Hamblin, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Fayette County, 1952 7
  • John K. Hamblin, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1928 7
  • George B. Hamblin, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Sharon; Elected 1902 7
  • Eli Hamblin, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Dutchess County, 1832 7
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Royal Oak
  • Herbert John Hamblin (1899-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 8
  • George Albert Hamblin (1908-1939), British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 8


  1. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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. 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
  5. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STANDARD 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/standard1852.shtml
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html


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