Hand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The Anglo-Saxon name Hand comes from the baptismal name for the son of John. The given name John was originally derived from the Dutch Hans or Han. 1

Alternatively, the name coule be "a nickname or sign-name [Old English hand, a hand]." 2

And another source notes it is an "ancient personal name. Hand and Hande are, however, surnames without prefix in Hundredorum Rolls. Mr. Ferguson says: "Walking through Handsworth in Staffordshire, and seeing the name of Hand upon the shops, I said to myself, ' Handsworth is the north or estate of a man called Hand, and these may be descendants of that man.'" 3

Early Origins of the Hand family

The surname Hand was first found in Cheshire where the name first appeared as a forename in the Assize Rolls of 1288, Honde Cottrell. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 included Richard Hand in Bedfordshire and later Robert Hind was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Walter Handes was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. 4

In Yorkshire, The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls had a wide variety of entries: Hanse et uxor ejus; Matilda Han-wyfe; Thomas Hand; and Laurence Hande. 1

Early History of the Hand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hand research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1521, 1588, 1594 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hand Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Hand has appeared include Hand, Hands and others.

Early Notables of the Hand family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Hand Ranking

In the United States, the name Hand is the 1,463rd most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Hand family to Ireland

Some of the Hand family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Hand migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Hand arrived in North America very early:

Hand Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Hand Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Hand Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Hand Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hand migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hand Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Hand Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Hand migration to Australia +

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

Hand Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Hand 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:

Hand Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Hand 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. 15
Hand Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Hand (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Hand +
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