Contents [hide]

Hem History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Hem History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

There are several possible origins for this surname. The name may be derived from the Old English word "heghen" meaning a "farm or holding," in which case, the name may have come from the place of residence of the initial bearer. Alternatively, the surname may be derived from the Old English word "heyne" meaning "a mean person," and may have come from a characteristic of the initial bearer.

Early Origins of the Hem family

The surname Hem was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area, where the name has long been associated with the barony of Halywode.

Early History of the Hem family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hem research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1289, 1327, 1630 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Hem History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hem Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Haining, Hain, Hainning, Henning, Haning, Hanning and others.

Early Notables of the Hem family

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

Migration of the Hem family to Ireland

Some of the Hem family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hem migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hem Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Hem, who landed in Virginia in 1705 1
Jane Hem, who landed in Virginia in 1711 1
Mattheis Hem, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1744 1
Johannes Hem, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1767 1
Johan Jacob Hem, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787 1

Hem Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Hem, aged 30, who arrived in Missouri in 1846 1

Hem migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hem Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Morris Hem, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1760

Hem migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 2

Hem Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Thomas Hem, aged 21, who landed in Jamaica in 1684 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Hem (post 1700) +

Eugene A. Hem, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, 1986 (Third Party), 1998 (Independent), 2000 (Independent)
Narie Hem (1937-2023), also known as Nary Hem, was a Cambodian actress known for her portrayal of Dara in the French film Bird of Paradise
Hem Barua (1893-1945), Indian independence activist, social worker and writer, the people of Assam called him Tyagbir

Citations +

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)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies