Show ContentsHaugan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Haugan surname were Welsh Brythonic-Celts. However, their name came to Britain with the Norman invasion; Haugan is derived from the Old French personal name Hughe, also spelled Hue. This name was made popular by the exploits of several saints including: St. Hugh of Lincoln (1140-1200), who was born in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne) and established the first Carthusian monastery in England; as well as St. Hugh of Cluny (1024-1109).

Hugh (d. 1094), called of Grantmesnil, or Grentemaisnil, was Baron and Sheriff of Leicestershire, son of Robert of Grantmesnil, in the arrondissement of Lisieux. 1

Hugh (d. 1098), called of Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury and Arundel, second son of Roger of Montgomery, held during his father's lifetime the manor of Worfield in Shropshire. 1

Early Origins of the Haugan family

The surname Haugan was first found in Carmarthenshire (Welsh: Sir Gaerfyrddin), located in Southwest Wales, one of thirteen historic counties and presently one of the principal area in Wales.

Early rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used at that time. By example, Hugo was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086; Willelmus filius Hugonis was found in Wiltshire in 1084 and Reginaldus le fiz Hugonis was in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire from 1195. 2

Early History of the Haugan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haugan research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1038, 1518, 1545, 1553, 1600, 1603, 1604, 1612, 1613, 1620, 1632, 1645, 1654, 1659, 1662, 1664, 1667, 1670, 1674, 1677, 1685, 1693, 1695, 1704, 1719, 1720, 1731, 1740, 1751, 1776 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Haugan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haugan Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Haugan has occasionally been spelled Hughes, Hugh, Hews, Hughs, Hues, Huse and others.

Early Notables of the Haugan family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Owen ap Hugh (1518-1613), of Bodeon, near Llangadwaladr, Anglesey, a Welsh politician, Member of the Parliament for Newborough in 1545; Robert Hues (1553-1632), an English mathematician and geographer; George Hughes (1603-1667), an English Puritan clergyman and writer; Thomas Hughes (1604-1664), a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haugan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Haugan family to Ireland

Some of the Haugan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Haugan migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Haugan:

Haugan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Helge A. Haugan, who settled in America in 1861
Haugan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Ludvik Haugan, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1919 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Haugan (post 1700) +

  • Mabel Haugan, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Washington, 1952 4
  • David Haugan, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 2008 4
  • Bernt B. Haugan, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Governor of Minnesota, 1900 4


The Haugan 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: Kymmer-yn Lydeirnon
Motto Translation: Name of the lordship of the family.


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 5) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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