Haiter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Haiter. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Haiter family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Haiter is a local type of surname and the Haiter family lived in Devon. Their name, however, is derived from the Old English word heah, which means hill or raised land. 1

Early Origins of the Haiter family

The surname Haiter was first found in Devon, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early in their history the family branched to Cambridgeshire, where William Haytere was registered in the Assize Rolls of 1260. There was also registry of Reginald le Heytur in 1296. 2

John Haytour was listed in Somerset 1 Edward III (during the first years of Edward III's reign.) 3

Early History of the Haiter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haiter research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1540, 1611, 1628, 1632, 1634, 1637, 1684, 1687, 1702, 1706, 1726, 1728, 1760 and 1762 are included under the topic Early Haiter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haiter Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Hayter, Haiter, Haytor, Hater and others.

Early Notables of the Haiter family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Richard Hayter (1611?-1684), English theological writer, born about 1611, son of William Hayter, fishmonger, of Salisbury, Wiltshire. In 1628 he entered Magdalen Hall, Oxford, as a commoner, and graduated B.A. 26 April 1632, and M.A. 29 Jan. 1634. 4 Thomas Hayter (1702-1762), was bishop successively of Norwich and London, baptised at Chagford, Devonshire...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haiter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haiter migration to Canada +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Haiter or a variant listed above:

Haiter Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Haiter was recorded as a planter in Trinity, Newfoundland in 1830 5

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0