Hythe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Hythe name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived at the hide or at the residence close by. Hythe is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Hythe family

The surname Hythe was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England. A hide is a feudal portion of land that was measured by the quality of land, not its size. In other words, a hide was so much land as "with its house and toft, right of common, and other appurtenances, was considered to be sufficient for the necessities of a family." 1

Urmston in Lancashire is a point of interest to the family. "A family of the local name is mentioned as holding lands here as early as the reign of King John. About the time of Henry IV, Raff Hyde married the heiress of Adam Urmston, and thus obtained the estate." 2

"Here [in Woodford, Wiltshire] was a palace of the bishops of Salisbury, but no traces of it are now visible. Charles II, after the battle of Worcester, was concealed in Heale House, in the parish, at that time the residence of the Hyde family." 2

Hyde in Cheshire was another ancient family seat. "So early as the reign of John, a part of the manor of Hyde was held by a family of the same name, of which the great Lord Chancellor Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was a descendant; the remaining portion was acquired by them in the reign of Edward III." 2

Early History of the Hythe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hythe research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1595, 1609, 1617, 1627, 1631, 1637, 1638, 1641, 1665, 1667, 1671, 1674, 1709, 1711, 1712, 1713 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hythe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hythe Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Hythe has undergone many spelling variations, including Hyde, Hide and others.

Early Notables of the Hythe family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Anne Hyde (1637-1671), Duchess of York and Albany as the first wife of James, Duke of York (later King James II and VII); Frances Hyde, Countess of Clarendon (1617-1667), an English peeress, the mother-in-law of James II of England; Henry Hyde 2nd Earl of Clarendon PC (1638-1709), an English aristocrat and politician; Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester KG PC (1641-1711), an English statesman and writer; Edward...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hythe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hythe family to Ireland

Some of the Hythe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hythe family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Hythe were among those contributors: John Hide who settled in New England in 1635; Richard Hide settled in Virginia in 1635; James Hide settled in St. Christopher in 1635; Francis and William Hide settled in Barbados in 1663.

The Hythe 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: Deus novis haec otio fecit
Motto Translation: God hath given us these things in tranquillity.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.