Show ContentsHyman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Hyman date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in or beside an enclosed region. The surname Hyman originally derived from the Old English word "hegham" which referred to an "enclosed dwelling." 1

Early Origins of the Hyman family

The surname Hyman was first found in Norfolk at Heigham, Potter, a parish, in the hundred of Happing. 2

The parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was recorded as Echam. 3

But by 1182, the parish was known as Higham Potter and possibly meant "homestead with a hedge or hatch-gate. The affix must allude to the pot-making here at an early date." 4

As far as early records of the family is concerned, Osward de Hecham was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1176 and a few years later, Hugo de Hegham was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Kent in 1198. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had three early entries for the family: Ralph de Hegham, Norfolk; Thomas de Hegham or Heyham, Kent; and Robert de Heyham, Suffolk. 1

Later, Robertus de Hegham was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. "This surname is derived from a geographical locality, 'of the Hegham,' i.e. the enclosed dwelling, a spot in East Cheshire that gave rise to a surname now very familiar to the directories of the surrounding district. Also parishes in the Dioceses of Norwich, Peterborough, and Rochester, which no doubt have contributed to the list in South England." 1

Early History of the Hyman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hyman research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1440, 1495, 1545, 1554, 1555, 1558, 1559, 1560, 1568, 1570, 1571, 1572, 1634 and 1636 are included under the topic Early Hyman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hyman Spelling Variations

Hyman has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Hyman have been found, including Hyam, Hyams, Hygham, Hyham, Higham, Highams and many more.

Early Notables of the Hyman family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Clement Higham, (also Heigham), of Barrow Hall, Suffolk, (1495-1571), a Member of Parliament, Speaker of the House of Commons (1554-1555), Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, and a Privy Councillor to Queen Mary. He was of a Suffolk family, son of Clement Heigham of Lavenham. "On 27 January 1555 he was knighted by King Philip (Machyn, Diary, p. 342), and on 2 March 1558 he succeeded Sir David Brooke as lord chief Baron of the exchequer. He received a new patent on Queen Elizabeth's accession, but on 22 January 1559 he was...
Another 116 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hyman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hyman Ranking

In the United States, the name Hyman is the 2,459th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6


United States Hyman migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hymans to arrive on North American shores:

Hyman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Margaret Hyman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1739 7
Hyman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Hyman, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 7
  • E Hyman, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
  • R Hyman, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
  • S Hyman, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
  • James Hyman, who landed in Mississippi in 1853 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Hyman migration to Australia +

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

Hyman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

New Zealand Hyman 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:

Hyman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • W. Hyman, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888
  • Samuel Hyman, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888

Contemporary Notables of the name Hyman (post 1700) +

  • Harold Melvin Hyman (1924-2023), American a historian of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era and the William P. Hobby Professor of History at Rice University
  • Earle Hyman (1926-2017), born George Earle Plummer, an American stage, television, and film actor, known for his voice role on ThunderCats
  • Arthur Hyman (1921-2017), American professor of philosophy at Yeshiva University
  • John Adams Hyman (1840-1891), American Republican U.S. Congressman
  • Jackie Diamond Hyman (b. 1949), American author and former Associated Press reporter and columnist
  • B. D. Hyman (b. 1947), American author and pastor
  • Ira Hyman, American Psychologist
  • Stanley Edgar Hyman (1919-1970), American literary critic
  • Trina Schart Hyman (1939-2004), American illustrator of children's books
  • Mac Hyman (1923-1963), American fiction writer
  • ... (Another 32 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Solomon Abraham Hyman, aged 34, English Third Class passenger from Manchester who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking in collapsible C 8


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)
  8. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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