Show ContentsHillhouse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Hillhouse date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Hillhouse family lived as inhabitants in a house on a hill.

Early Origins of the Hillhouse family

The surname Hillhouse was first found in Buckinghamshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Hillhouse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hillhouse research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1173, 1442, 1514 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hillhouse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hillhouse 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 Hillhouse 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. The variations of the name Hillhouse include: Hillis, Hillas, Hillers, Hillhouse, Hillus, Hallis and many more.

Early Notables of the Hillhouse family

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

Hillhouse Ranking

In the United States, the name Hillhouse is the 12,603rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Ireland Migration of the Hillhouse family to Ireland

Some of the Hillhouse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hillhouse 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 Hillhouse or a variant listed above:

Hillhouse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • James Hillhouse, who arrived in Connecticut in 1721 [2]
Hillhouse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • F Hillhouse, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [2]

Australia Hillhouse migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hillhouse Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Hillhouse, British convict who was convicted in Isle of Man for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [3]

New Zealand Hillhouse 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:

Hillhouse Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Stewart Hillhouse, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th October 1872 [4]
  • Miss Martha Hillhouse, (b. 1859), aged 20, Scottish dairy maid, from Ayr travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Nelson" arriving in Invercargill, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 28th August 1879 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Hillhouse (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Hillhouse (1817-1897), American farmer, banker and politician, Adjutant General of the New York State Militia during the Civil War, Comptroller (1866 to 1867)
  • Arthur Sherwood Hillhouse (1916-2011), American professional basketball player
  • James Hillhouse (1754-1832), American lawyer, real estate developer, and politician from Connecticut
  • William Hillhouse (1728-1816), American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives, 1763-85; Delegate to Continental Congress from Connecticut, 1783-86 [6]
  • Thomas Hillhouse, American politician, Member of New York State Senate 26th District, 1860-61; New York state comptroller, 1866-67 [6]
  • Alexander "Alex" John Hillhouse (1907-1983), Australian two-time silver medalist athlete at the 1930 Empire Games, and later competed at the 1932 Summer Olympics
  • Thomas Paterson Hillhouse (1898-1991), Scottish-born, Canadian politician in Manitoba
  • Oliver Hillhouse Prince (1782-1837), American politician, Member of Georgia State Senate, 1824; U.S. Senator from Georgia, 1828-29 [7]

RMS Lusitania


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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