Show ContentsHill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hill Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Hill

What does the name Hill mean?

Hill is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hill family lived near or on a hill. Hill, which was extremely popular and widely distributed in England, is a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently. The name was originally derived from the Old English hyll, which simply meant hill or dweller by the hill. 1

Early Origins of the Hill family

The surname Hill was first found in Worcestershire, where one line is descended from the De Montes of Castlemorton in Worcestershire. The manor of Hillend in Castlemorton, Worcester was likely built on land held by Odo de Monte, or Hill, in 1238-9. Richard Hill of Castlemorton is mentioned in 1383 and John Hill of Castlemorton in 1408-9. John Hill died about 1623 holding a "messuage" at Hillend, which then passed to his son Thomas. 2

Other early records of the name include Gilbert del Hill, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1191; William "attehil" (literally at the hill,) who was listed in 1260 in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall, and Simon Hille who was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum for Worcestershire of 1273. 1

Again in Cornwall, "the rectory of St. Keverne, which had been appropriated to the priory of Beaulieu in Hampshire, was afterward for many years in the family of Hill. About the middle of the last century, the great tithes were sold by this family to the occupiers of the several estates, for a term of 999 years." 3

Scotland was another ancient homeland for the family. In this case, the first record was William de la Hyll, son of Waldeve son of Aldewyn, who resigned lands in Mydilham in 1271. William o' the Hill rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296 and in 1321 William de le Hille was received to the king of England's peace." It was Richard de Hulle (Hill), 'a varlette of Scotland,' who 'stikked and killed' Catarine Mortimer, 'a damoisel of London,' one of the inmates of the harem of David II in 1360." 4

Early History of the Hill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hill research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1271, 1484, 1549, 1559, 1589, 1595, 1597, 1601, 1602, 1605, 1628, 1629, 1635, 1642, 1649, 1657, 1663, 1667, 1672, 1685, 1692, 1694, 1695, 1699, 1711, 1721, 1727, 1734, 1735, 1736, 1749, 1750, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hill Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Hill, Hille, Hyll, Hills and others.

Early Notables of the Hill family

  • John Hill (1589-1657), an English merchant and politician, Member of Parliament for Dorchester (1628-1629); Roger Hill (1605-1667), of Poundsford, Somerset, an English judge and Member of Parliament...
  • Colonel Edward Hill (died c.1663), was a Virginia farmer, soldier and politician, Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses three different times and declared himself acting Governor of Maryland

Hill World Ranking

the United States, the name Hill is the 33rd most popular surname with an estimated 465,069 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Hill is ranked the 73rd most popular surname with an estimated 32,716 people with that name. 6 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Hill is the 441st popular surname with an estimated 106 people with that name. 7 France ranks Hill as 6,613rd with 1,000 - 1,500 people. 8 Australia ranks Hill as 31st with 48,017 people. 9 New Zealand ranks Hill as 41st with 5,499 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Hill as 30th with 105,702 people. 11 South Africa ranks Hill as 861st with 8,118 people. 12

Migration of the Hill family to Ireland

Some of the Hill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hill migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Hill or a variant listed above were:

Hill Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Francis Hill, aged 22, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" 14
  • Mr. John Hill, aged 26, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" 14
  • Mr. Marmaduke Hill, aged 11, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Mary Gold" 14
  • Mrs. Jane Hill, aged 14, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Mary Gold" 14
  • Edward Hill, who settled in Virginia in 1623
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hill Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ann Hill, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1767 15
  • Thomas Hill, who landed in North Carolina in 1775 15
  • Charles Hill, who arrived in New Hampshire in 1776 15
  • Casper Hill, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 15
  • Christopher Hill, who landed in Frederick County, Maryland in 1795 15
Hill Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Adam Hill, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 15
  • Alexander Hill, aged 23, who arrived in South Carolina in 1812 15
  • Adam Hill, who sailed from Ireland to New York in 1816
  • Anne Hill, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 15
  • Arthur Hill, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1832 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hill Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. John Hill, (b. 1876), aged 29, Cornish stonemason travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 4th June 1905 en route to Bangor, Pennsylvania, USA 16
  • Mr. Edward Reginald Hill, (b. 1903), aged 2, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Eveleth, Minnesota, USA 16
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Hill, (b. 1881), aged 24, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Eveleth, Minnesota, USA 16

Hill migration to Canada +

Hill Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Abnel Hill, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Anthy Hill, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1774
  • Mr. Joseph Hill U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia c. 1783 was a passenger aboard the ship "HMS Clinton" 17
  • Mr. James Hill U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 196 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York 17
  • Mr. John Hill U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hill Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Alvin Hill, who arrived in Canada in 1828
  • Archibald Hill, aged 30, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833
  • Andrew Hill, aged 30, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Susan" in 1838
  • Ms. Francis Hill, aged 20 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "John Munn" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle on September 2nd, 1847 18
  • Mrs. Catherine Hill, aged 60 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "John and Robert" departing 9th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 6th August 1847 but she died on board 19
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hill Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Karl E. Hill, Swedish settler who sailed aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1951

Hill migration to Australia +

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

First Fleet
  • Miss Ann Hill, (1748 - 1806), aged 41, British settler convicted in Gloucestershire, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 13
  • Mr. John Hill, (b. 1753), aged 36, British settler convicted at Herefordshire, England in 1784, sentenced to 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 14
  • Mr. Thomas Hill, (1757 - 1790), aged 32, British settler convicted at Somerset, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for Stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790, may have died on the ship 14
Second Fleet
  • Mr. Thomas Hill, British settler convicted in Surrey, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "HMS Gorgon" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 14
  • Mr. Thomas Hill, British settler convicted in London, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791, may have died on the ship 14
  • Mr. Thomas Hill, (d. 1791), British settler convicted in Northumberland, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Britannia" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 14
Third Fleet
  • Mr. John Hill, (b. 1751), aged 36, English labourer convicted in Maidstone, Kent on 26th May 1784, sentenced for life for stealing clothing, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 14
  • Mr. John Hill, (b. 1753), aged 34, English settler convicted in London on 24th March 1785, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788, died shortly after arriving 14
  • Mr. Thomas Hill, (b. 1758), aged 29, English settler convicted in London on 7th July 1784, sentenced for 7 years for stealing clothing, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 14
  • Mr. Thomas Hill, (b. 1758), aged 29, English settler convicted in Dorchester, Dorset on 13th March 1783, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Friendship" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 14
  • Miss Mary Hill, (b. 1768), aged 19, English settler convicted in London on 25th October 1786, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Lady Penrhyn" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 14
Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Hill Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Hill Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Hill 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:

Hill Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Hill, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • George Hill, aged 36, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
  • Ann Hill, aged 38, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
  • Jane Hill, aged 13, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
  • John Hill, aged 11, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arab" in 1841
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hill 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. 24
Hill Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. John Hill, (b. 1615), aged 19, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 15
  • Mr. John Hill, (b. 1612), aged 23, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 25
  • Miss Joan Hill, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler traveling aboard the ship "John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 26
  • Mr. John Hill, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 27
  • John Hill, who settled in Barbados in 1654

Contemporary Notables of the name Hill (post 1700) +

  • Oliver White Hill Sr. (1907-2007), American civil rights attorney from Richmond, Virginia, known for his work against racial discrimination, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Heather H. Hill (1939-1940), American television director and producer
  • Marc Kevin Hill (1952-2025), nicknamed "the Booter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher
  • Michael Joseph Hill (1939-2025), American professional golfer, three PGA Tour wins and best finish in a major was a tie for eleventh at the PGA Championship in 1974
  • Clinton J. Hill (1932-2025), U.S. Secret Service agent who served under five United States presidents (1958-1975), best known for his act of bravery on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, leaped onto the back of the presidential car, and shielded the stricken president and the First Lady with his own body as the car raced to Parkland Memorial Hospital
  • Eddie Wayne Hill (1957-2025), American professional football player, running back for the Los Angeles Rams (1979-1980) and Miami Dolphins (1981-1984) of the National Football League
  • Tyreek Hill (b. 1994), American football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League
  • Carolynn Marie Hill (b. 1961), American rock climber regarded as one of the leading competitive climbers, traditional climbers, sport climbers, and boulderers in the world during the late 1980s and early 1990s, she is famous for making the first free ascent of the difficult sheer rock face of The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley
  • Dewey Lewis Hill (1925-2023), American politician, Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly
  • ... (Another 91 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Mr. Gordon Alexander Hill (1933-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Mission Bay, Auckland, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 28
  • Mrs. Eileen Elsie Hill (1906-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Lower Hutt, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 29
  • Mrs. Mary Hill (1890-1914), née Clegg Canadian Third Class Passenger from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 29
  • E C Hill (d. 1979), American passenger from Los Angeles, California, USA, who flew aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash 30
  • Ms. Susan Carol Hill (1951-1996), from Portland, Oregon, USA, American hostage-negotiator flying aboard Flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; she died in the crash 31
  • ... (Another 38 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Hill 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: Avancez
Motto Translation: Advance.

Suggested Readings for the name Hill +

  • Blue Ridge Mountain Kinfolks: A Record of Ancestors, Descendants, and Relatives of the Author and Wife, Including Fisher-Gilbert-Hall-Hartley-Hill-Kirby-Lawson Families by Larry King.
  • Genealogy of Thomas Hill and Rebecca Miles; English Ancestors, Maryland Emigrants, Kentucky Pioneers, Americans, U.S.A. by Mary Louise Donnelly.
  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  7. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  8. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  9. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  10. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  11. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  12. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  13. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  14. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  15. 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)
  16. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  17. 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
  18. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 33)
  19. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 80)
  20. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  21. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
  22. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  23. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  24. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  25. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  26. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/daphne
  27. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  28. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
  29. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  30. Flight 191's Victims - latimes. (Retrieved 2014, April 16) . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-04/news/mn-4349_1_fort-lauderdale-area
  31. The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm

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