Show ContentsHalfhide History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Halfhide is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived at the hide or at the residence close by. Halfhide is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Halfhide family

The surname Halfhide was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England. A hide is a feudal portion of land that was measured by the quality of land, not its size. In other words, a hide was so much land as "with its house and toft, right of common, and other appurtenances, was considered to be sufficient for the necessities of a family." 1

Urmston in Lancashire is a point of interest to the family. "A family of the local name is mentioned as holding lands here as early as the reign of King John. About the time of Henry IV, Raff Hyde married the heiress of Adam Urmston, and thus obtained the estate." 2

"Here [in Woodford, Wiltshire] was a palace of the bishops of Salisbury, but no traces of it are now visible. Charles II, after the battle of Worcester, was concealed in Heale House, in the parish, at that time the residence of the Hyde family." 2

Hyde in Cheshire was another ancient family seat. "So early as the reign of John, a part of the manor of Hyde was held by a family of the same name, of which the great Lord Chancellor Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was a descendant; the remaining portion was acquired by them in the reign of Edward III." 2

Early History of the Halfhide family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Halfhide research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1609, 1617, 1627, 1631, 1637, 1638, 1641, 1665, 1667, 1671, 1674, 1709, 1711, 1712, 1713 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Halfhide History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Halfhide Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Halfhide has been spelled many different ways, including Hyde, Hide and others.

Early Notables of the Halfhide family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Anne Hyde (1637-1671), Duchess of York and Albany as the first wife of James, Duke of York (later King James II and VII); Frances Hyde, Countess of Clarendon (1617-1667), an English peeress, the mother-in-law of James II of England; Henry Hyde 2nd Earl of Clarendon PC (1638-1709), an English aristocrat and politician; Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester KG PC (1641-1711), an English statesman and writer; Edward...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Halfhide Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Halfhide family to Ireland

Some of the Halfhide family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Halfhide family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Halfhides to arrive in North America: John Hide who settled in New England in 1635; Richard Hide settled in Virginia in 1635; James Hide settled in St. Christopher in 1635; Francis and William Hide settled in Barbados in 1663.


Contemporary Notables of the name Halfhide (post 1700) +

  • Mr. Arthur Robert Halfhide C.B.E., R.N., (b. 1890), British Captain in the Royal Navy, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 1939 3


The Halfhide 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: Deus novis haec otio fecit
Motto Translation: God hath given us these things in tranquillity.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 31 October 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1


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