Show ContentsHepborne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the Hepborne family

The surname Hepborne 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 Hepborne family

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

Hepborne Spelling Variations

The name Hepborne, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Hepburn, Heyburn, Hepborne, Hepbourne, Hepbourn and others.

Early Notables of the Hepborne family

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

Ireland Migration of the Hepborne family to Ireland

Some of the Hepborne 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.


United States Hepborne migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned as many of the settlers in Ireland, known as the Scotch/Irish, became disenchanted. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Amongst the early settlers who could be considered kinsmen of the Hepborne family, or who bore a variation of the surname Hepborne were

Hepborne Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • George, Anne, Rebecca, and Anna Hepborne, who all, who arrived in Boston in 1635
  • George Hepborne, who settled in Boston along with Anne, Rebecca, and Anna in 1635
  • James Hepborne, who landed in Maryland in 1665 4


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. 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)


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