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Hitchens History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Hitchens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Hitchens has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the baptismal name Richard. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Hitchens family

The surname Hitchens was first found in Hertfordshire at Hitchin, a market town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Hitchin and Pirton. 1 The place name pre-dates the Norman Conquest as the first record the place was found c. 945 as Hiccam. By the time of the Domesday Book, the town was known as Hiz, and literally meant "place in the territory of the tribe called Hicce. " 2 The river Hiz is nearby and no doubt the river's name was derived from the same. As far as the surname is concerned, the first record of the name was John Hichum who was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum of 1279 in Oxfordshire. A few years later, the name Hichoun was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1286. 3

Early History of the Hitchens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hitchens research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1321, 1332, 1665, 1675 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Hitchens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hitchens Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hitchens include Hitchins, Hitchen, Hitchens, Hitchin, Hitchings, Hitchins, Hitching and many more.

Early Notables of the Hitchens family

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

Hitchens Ranking

In the United States, the name Hitchens is the 15,481^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Hitchens migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Hitchens Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Arthur Hitchens, who settled in Maine in 1616
John Hitchens, who settled in Virginia in 1654

Hitchens Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Hitchens, who landed in America in 1760-1763 5
William Hitchens, who arrived in America in 1760-1763 5
Richard and William Hitchens, who settled in New England in 1761

Hitchens Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. John Hitchens, (b. 1878), aged 26, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st August 1904 en route to Galena, Nevada, USA 6
Mrs. Kate Hitchens, (b. 1884), aged 20, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st August 1904 en route to Galena, Nevada, USA 6
Mr. Edwin Hitchens, (b. 1872), aged 32, Cornish labourer from St. Feock, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Celtic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 12th February 1904 en route to Brooklyn, New York, USA 6
Mr. John Hitchens, (b. 1858), aged 47, Cornish miner from Parranwell, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Baltic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 18th August 1905 en route to Riddlesburg, Pennsylvania, USA 6
Mrs. Mary Hitchens, (b. 1855), aged 50, Cornish setler from Parranwell, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Baltic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 18th August 1905 en route to Riddlesburg, Pennsylvania, USA 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hitchens migration to Australia +

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

Hitchens Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mrs. Elizabeth Hitchens, (b. 1809), aged 29 born in Penzance, Cornwall, UK convicted in Devon on 21st July 1838, sentenced for 7 years for stealing from a master, transported aboard the ship "Majestic" in 1839 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 7
Joseph Hitchens, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Santipore" in 1848 8
Mary Ann Hitchens, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Santipore" in 1848 8
John Hitchens, aged 25, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Thomas Arbuthnot"
Thomas Hitchens, aged 24, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Burlington"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hitchens 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:

Hitchens Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Hitchens, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Josephine Willis" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th February 1855 9
Mr. Samuel Hitchens, (b. 1833), aged 29, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 9
Mrs. Catherine Hitchens, (b. 1834), aged 28, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 9
Miss Elizabeth A. Hitchens, (b. 1855), aged 7, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 9
Miss Catherine L. Hitchens, (b. 1857), aged 5, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hitchens migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10

Hitchens Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Margaret and Anne Hitchens, who settled in Barbados in 1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Hitchens (post 1700) +

Virgil Hitchens, American politician, Mayor of Salisbury, Maryland, 1940-46
Paul Hitchens, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 1996 11
John R. Hitchens, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Delaware, 1964 11
James Hitchens, American politician, Member of California State Assembly 14th District, 1858-59
E. S. Hitchens, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1908 11
E. K. Hitchens, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Ohio, 1914
Julia Clara Catharine Dolores Birk Olsen Hitchens (1907-1973), better known as Dolores Hitchens, an American mystery novelist who wrote under the pseudonyms D. B. Olsen, Dolan Birkley and Noel Burke
Ivon Hitchens (1893-1979), English painter, member of the 'London Group' of artists
Gerry Hitchens (1934-1983), English footballer
Sir Timothy Mark Hitchens K.C.V.O., C.M.G., L.V.O. (b. 1962), British diplomat and former Chief Executive for Commonwealth Summit Unit for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 8th June 2018 12
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SANTIPORE 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Santipore.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, November 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 4 July 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1