First found in Shropshire where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Early records of the name include Humphrey le Hunte, who was in the Feat of Fines of Sussex in 1203; and Ralphe Hunte, listed in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire of 1219.

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Hunt arrived in North America very early: Alice Hunt, who settled in Virginia in 1654; Edward Hunt, who settled in Virginia in 1655; James Hunt, who settled in Virginia in 1636; John Hunt, who settled in Virginia in 1622.

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