Hamblitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Hamblitt family

The surname Hamblitt was first found in Sussex. The name Hamblitt, like many surnames, began as a personal name, in this case a variation on the more common name Hammond or as "the son of Hamon." 1 The surname was derived from Haimo, a Germanic shortened form of any of several names beginning with "haim," an old German word meaning "home." The fact that the first bearer of the name chose a personal name for his surname may indicate that he was related to someone of the name or that it was the name of the lord to whom he owed allegiance, or it may have been an arbitrary choice. The name was also frequented in Cheshire and Lancashire as the Wills at Chester will attest with the entry of Ellen Hamlett, of Roby, Lancashire in 1685. 1

Early History of the Hamblitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamblitt research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the year 1568 is included under the topic Early Hamblitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamblitt 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 Hamlet, Hamlett, Hamblet, Hamblett and others.

Early Notables of the Hamblitt family

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

Migration of the Hamblitt family

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 Hamblitt or a variant listed above were: John Hamlet, who arrived in Boston in 1634; as well as David Hamlett, who arrived in Virginia in 1665.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)