Hays History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The name Hays reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Hays family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hays family lived in Herefordshire. This name, however, does not refer to that municipality, but is topographical in nature and indicates that the original bearer lived near an enclosure of some sort. It derives from the Old English word haye, which means enclosure. 1 Another source claims the name was for a "dweller at the hedge or hedged enclosure; keeper of the hedges or fences; one who came from Hayes (enclosure.)" 2

Early Origins of the Hays family

The surname Hays was first found in Herefordshire where Bartholomew de la Hase held a fief in 1165. He claimed descent from Hayes near Blois, Normandy. 3

Early rolls had a mixture of entries in the singular and the now more popular plural form: Richard de Hay in the Pipe Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1170; Robert de la Haie, a Knight Templar for Hertfordshire in 1185; Roger del Hayes in the Hundredorum Rolls for Norfolk in 1275; Henry del Haye and Stephen in the Haye in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275; and Thomas atte Heye in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 4

From this early origin, the name was listed in a few locations, specifically, Norfolk, where some of the first records of the name were Edorard de lis Heys and John del Heys who were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls listed Nichola de la Hay in Lincolnshire. 5 William de Hayes was listed in Northamptonshire in the 13th century as a follower of John Giffard (1232-1299), the English nobleman, but had his house plundered after the Battle of Evesham in 1265. 5

Early History of the Hays family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hays research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1182, 1637, 1641, 1663, 1672, 1678, 1686, 1694, 1703, 1706, 1707, 1712, 1729, 1731, 1734, 1760, 1768, 1777 and 1831 are included under the topic Early Hays History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hays Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Hayes, Hayse, Hays and others.

Early Notables of the Hays family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Hayes of London; Sir James Hayes (1637-1694), founding Fellow of the Royal Society in 1663, Secretary to Prince Rupert and first Deputy-Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company in...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hays Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hays Ranking

In the United States, the name Hays is the 918th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Hays is ranked the 6,774th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Hays family to Ireland

Some of the Hays family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 154 words (11 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Hays migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Hays name or one of its variants:

Hays Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Hays Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Hays Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hays migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

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

Hays migration to Australia +

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

Hays Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Hays 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:

Hays Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Hays (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Hays +
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