Show ContentsHetch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Viking settlers of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Hetch. It was a nickname for a hooked or crooked person. This nickname was originally derived from the Old Norse word haki which meant "hook" or "something crooked." 1

Alternatively, the name could have been a patronymic for " the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Hake.' " 2

And another source believes the name has the same origin as "Haig and Haigh; from Haigh co. Lancaster or from Anglo-Saxon 'hagen,' a hay, hedge, meadow. " 3

Early Origins of the Hetch family

The surname Hetch was first found in the county of Norfolk where Turkil Hako was listed there in Domesday Book 4. Later the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire listed Leuiua filia Hacke as holding lands there in 1218 - a very rare entry for a female or "daughter" to hold lands at that time. Later again, Gilbert Hale was listed in the Feet of Fines of Staffordshire in 1257. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had the following entries as both a forename and surname: Hacca filius Pictavini; Peter filius Hake, Lincolnshire; Haco le Muner, Suffolk; and Hako Strek, Suffolk. 2

Early History of the Hetch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hetch research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1218, 1273, 1375, 1567, 1576, 1578, 1579 and 1586 are included under the topic Early Hetch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hetch Spelling Variations

Contemporary spellings of ancient Scottish names often bear little resemblance to the original recorded versions. These spelling variations result from the fact that medieval scribes spelled words and names alike according to their sounds. Hetch has been spelled Hake, Hakes, Hakke, Hacke and others.

Early Notables of the Hetch family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Edward Hake, (fl. 1579), an English satirist who was patronized by the Earl of Leicester, known for his Newes out of Paules Churchyarde, A Trappe for Syr Monye, whi was first published in 1567. No copy of the 1567 edition is known; but the work was reprinted in 1579. "From the dedication to the Earl of Leicester we learn that at this date Hake was under-steward...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hetch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hetch family

The colonies on the fertile east coast of North America soon had many farms run by Scots. These hardy settlers provided a backbone for the great nations of the United States and Canada that would emerge in the next centuries. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name Hetch or a variant listed above, including: Thomas Hakes who died at Jamestown, Virginia in 1623; John Maximilian Hake who sailed to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1774 and Nicolaus Hake who settled in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1798..



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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