Herne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The distinguished English surname Herne comes from several different origins. Firstly, it is derived from the Old English "hyrne," meaning "nook, corner;" in this instance, the name would have been originally borne by someone who lived in a corner residence.

Alternatively, the name may be derived from a place name; there is a town called Herne in Kent and a Hirn in Hampshire, and the progenitor of the name may have hailed from one of these towns. Finally, the name may be a variant of the surname Heron.

Early Origins of the Herne family

The surname Herne was first found in Dorset at Hurn, village and civil parish that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Herne. 1

Literally the place name means "place at the angle or corner of land," from the Old English word "hyrne." 2

Holbeach Hurn is a small fenland village in the South Holland district of southern Lincolnshire and Hurn is a tything, in the parish, union, and hundred of Christchurch, Ringwood in the county of Southampton. 3

The first record of the family was found in Hampshire where Gunnora de la Hurn was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1212. Later Walter Atehurne was registered in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1267 and later again, Henry en le Hurne was registered in the Hundredorum Rolls for Berkshire in 1279. 4

In Oxfordshire Ralph in pe Hurne was registered there in 1279 and later, William del Herne was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 4

Early History of the Herne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herne research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1212, 1267, 1279, 1327, 1524, 1610, 1611, 1620, 1644, 1670, 1678, 1710, 1711, 1722, 1735 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Herne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herne Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Herne are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Herne include: Hern, Herne, Hearn, Hearne, Hurn, Hurne, Harn and others.

Early Notables of the Herne family

Notables of the family at this time include

Thomas Herne or Haveringland, sheriff of Norfolk who was ennobled in 1620
John Herne (fl. 1644), was an English lawyer, admitted a student at Lincoln's Inn on 21 Jan. 1610-1611, and was afterwards called to the bar there. 5
Thomas Herne (d. 1722), was a controversialist, a native of Suffolk who was admitted as a pensioner at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, on 29 Oct. 1711. 5

Migration of the Herne family to Ireland

Some of the Herne family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herne migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Herne or a variant listed above:

Herne Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Herne, who landed in Maryland in 1658 6
Robert Herne, who arrived in Virginia in 1658 6
Thomas Herne, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 6
Bridgett Herne, who arrived in Maryland in 1677 6
John Herne, who arrived in Maryland in 1677 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Herne Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Margretha Herne, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1743 6

Herne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andreas Herne, aged 19, who landed in New York, NY in 1851 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Herne (post 1700) +

James A. Herne (1839-1901), American playwright
Frank Herne (b. 1989), South African rugby union player

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)