Contents [hide]

Hills History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Hills History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Hills was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hills family lived near or on a hill. Hills, which was extremely popular and widely distributed in England, is a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently. The name was originally derived from the Old English hyll, which simply meant hill or dweller by the hill. 1

Early Origins of the Hills family

The surname Hills was first found in Worcestershire, where one line is descended from the De Montes of Castlemorton in Worcestershire. The manor of Hillend in Castlemorton, Worcester was likely built on land held by Odo de Monte, or Hill, in 1238-9. Richard Hill of Castlemorton is mentioned in 1383 and John Hill of Castlemorton in 1408-9. John Hill died about 1623 holding a "messuage" at Hillend, which then passed to his son Thomas. 2

Other early records of the name include Gilbert del Hill, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1191; William "attehil" (literally at the hill,) who was listed in 1260 in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall, and Simon Hille who was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum for Worcestershire of 1273. 1

Again in Cornwall, "the rectory of St. Keverne, which had been appropriated to the priory of Beaulieu in Hampshire, was afterward for many years in the family of Hill. About the middle of the last century, the great tithes were sold by this family to the occupiers of the several estates, for a term of 999 years." 3

Scotland was another ancient homeland for the family. In this case, the first record was William de la Hyll, son of Waldeve son of Aldewyn, who resigned lands in Mydilham in 1271. William o' the Hill rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296 and in 1321 William de le Hille was received to the king of England's peace." It was Richard de Hulle (Hill), 'a varlette of Scotland,' who 'stikked and killed' Catarine Mortimer, 'a damoisel of London,' one of the inmates of the harem of David II in 1360." 4

Early History of the Hills family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hills research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1271, 1484, 1549, 1559, 1589, 1595, 1597, 1601, 1602, 1605, 1628, 1629, 1635, 1642, 1649, 1657, 1663, 1667, 1672, 1685, 1692, 1694, 1695, 1699, 1711, 1721, 1727, 1734, 1735, 1736, 1749, 1750, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hills History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hills Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Hill, Hille, Hyll, Hills and others.

Early Notables of the Hills family

Distinguished members of the family include John Hill (1589-1657), an English merchant and politician, Member of Parliament for Dorchester (1628-1629); Roger Hill (1605-1667), of Poundsford, Somerset, an English judge and Member of Parliament; Michael Hill (1672-1699), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Saltash (1692-1695), appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland in 1694; James Hill (died 1734), an English master mason in Cheltenham...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hills Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hills World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hills is the 2,043^rd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Hills is ranked the 879^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,498 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Hills is the 544^th popular surname with an estimated 1,288 people with that name. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Hills as 609^th with 10,761 people. 8

Migration of the Hills family to Ireland

Some of the Hills family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hills migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Hills or a variant listed above:

Hills Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ismale Hills, who landed in Virginia in 1623 9
Mr. Richard Hills, (1622 - 1694), who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove" 9
Miss Rose Hills, (b. 1613), aged 22, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 10
Joseph Hills, who landed in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1638 aboard the ship "Susan and Ellen" 9
Elizabeth Hills, who landed in Maryland in 1650 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hills Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Hills, who landed in New York in 1785 9

Hills Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Hills, who arrived in America in 1807 9
Margaret Hills, aged 29, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1812 9

Hills migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hills Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Daniel Hills, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752

Hills Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Hills, who landed in Canada in 1831

Hills migration to Australia +

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

Hills Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Hills, British Convict who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Alfred Hills, English convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 12
Mr. Timothy Hills, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. James Hills, English convict who was convicted in Herfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Thomas Hills, English convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hills 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:

Hills Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Hills, British settler arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Sir George Symour" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th November 1847 16
W. Hills, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
Caroline Hills, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855
Mr. EdwardHills, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand in 1855 17
Mr. Hills, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Merchantman' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand and Auckland New Zealand on 6th September 1855 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hills Settlers in New Zealand in the 20th Century

Ronald Hills, aged 22, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "S. S. Waimana" in 1926

Contemporary Notables of the name Hills (post 1700) +

Arthur Hills (1930-2021), American golf course designer who designed more than 200 new golf courses, including private, resort, upscale, and public golf courses around the world
Roderick Maltman Hills (1931-2014), American Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission between 1975 and 1977
Ben Hills (1942-2018), English-born, Australian freelance journalist and author
Joseph John Hills, first class English cricketer and test match umpire
John David Hills (b. 1978), English footballer
John Hills (1960-2014), British horse trainer, son of Barry Hills
Sir Graham Hills (1926-2014), British physical chemist, Principal of the University of Strathclyde and a Governor of the BBC
Patrick Darcy 'Pat' Hills (1917-1992), Australian politician
Michael Hills (b. 1963), British flat racing jockey
Richard Hills (b. 1963), British flat racing jockey
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hills family +

Halifax Explosion

Miss Phyllis Jean Hills (1917-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18
Miss Margaret Maud Hills (1910-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18
Miss Jacquelin Hills (1910-1917), Canadian resident from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 18
Miss Ruth Bell Hills (1913-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18
Mr. John D. Hills (1885-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18
... (Another 1 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Hills Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Avancez
Motto Translation: Advance.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance