Hepborn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

In the annals of British history, few names go farther back than Hepborn, which started among the people of the Boernician tribe. The first family to use the name Hepborn lived in Northumberland, in the village of Hebburn in the parish of Chillingham.

Early Origins of the Hepborn family

The surname Hepborn was first found in Northumberland at Hebburn, a township, in the parish of Chillingham, union of Glendale. "There are some remains of an ancient castle, built, and long occupied, by a family which took its name from the village." 1 Now part of the Tyne and Wear county, Hebburn dates back to about 1104-08 when it was first listed as Heabyrn. Literally the place name means "high burial place or tumulus," from the Old English words "heah" + "byrgen." 2 One of the first records of the name was Thomas de Heburn who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1279. 3

Early History of the Hepborn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hepborn research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1329, 1550, 1563, 1612 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Hepborn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hepborn Spelling Variations

Although the name, Hepborn, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Hepburn, Heyburn, Hepborne, Hepbourne, Hepbourn and others.

Early Notables of the Hepborn family

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

Migration of the Hepborn family to Ireland

Some of the Hepborn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hepborn migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hepborn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Hepborn, (b. 1839), aged 26, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 4
Mrs. Isabella Hepborn, (b. 1840), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 4
Mr. Hugh Hepborn, (b. 1843), aged 22, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 4
Mr. James Hepborn, (b. 1859), aged 6, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 4

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html