Show ContentsHeading History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Heading

What does the name Heading mean?

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Heading surname lived in the parish of Headon, which is in the diocese of Southwell in Nottinghamshire, or in the parish of Hedon, which is in the diocese of York in Yorkshire. Of the two, the Nottinghamshire village may be the oldest as it is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Hedune, 1 having derived from the Old English "heah" + "dun," collectively meaning "high hill." 2

Early Origins of the Heading family

The surname Heading was first found in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire

Early History of the Heading family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heading research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379 and 1690 are included under the topic Early Heading History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heading 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 Heading 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. The variations of the name Heading include: Heading, Headen, Headon, Hedding, Heddon, Hedon, Hedin, Hedden and many more.

Early Notables of the Heading family

More information is included under the topic Early Heading Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heading family to Ireland

Some of the Heading family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Heading 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 Heading or a variant listed above:

Heading Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Harley Heading, who arrived in New York in 1839 4

Heading migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Third Fleet
  • Mr. James Heading, (b. 1757), aged 30, English labourer convicted in Chelmsford, Essex on 7th March 1785, sentenced for life for stealing animals, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 3
Following the Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Heading Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Heading, aged 42, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Joseph Rowan" 5
  • James Heading, aged 37, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Lord of the Isles" 6

Heading migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 7
Heading Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Sarah Heading, who sailed to Barbados in 1659

Contemporary Notables of the name Heading (post 1700) +

  • Henry Heading, American politician, Candidate for Judge, Michigan Court of Appeals 1st District, 1974 8

HMS Vanguard
  • Mr. William J. Heading, British private, who was aboard the ship "HMS Vanguard" when she exploded in the Scapa Flow off the Orkney Islands, Scotland on 9th July 1917


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  4. 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)
  5. South Australian Register Saturday 17th June 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Joseph Rowan 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/josephrowan1854.shtml
  6. South Australian Register Monday 14th August 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Lord of the Isles 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/jamesfernie1854.shtml
  7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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