Hector History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Hector family
The surname Hector was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. According to Arthurian legend, Sir Ector (sometimes Hector, Antor, or Ectorius) was the father of Sir Kay and the foster father of King Arthur.
Early History of the Hector family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hector research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1369, 1535 and 1565 are included under the topic Early Hector History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hector Spelling Variations
In medieval Scotland, names were more often spelled according to sound than any regular set of rules. An enormous number of spelling variations were the result. Over the years, the name Hector has been spelled Hector, Heckie and others.
Early Notables of the Hector family
Notable amongst the Clan at this time was
Hector Ranking
In the United States, the name Hector is the 5,584th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Hector is ranked the 3,017th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2
Hector migration to the United States +
In such difficult times, Ireland, Australia, and North America looked like better homes for many Scots. The trips were expensive and grueling, but also rewarding, as the colonies were havens for those unwelcome in the old country. That legacy did not die easily, though, and many were forced to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. The Scottish legacy has resurface in more recent times, though, through Clan societies, highland games, and other organizations. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the old Scottish name of Hector:
Hector Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Kath Hector, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 3
Hector Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John Hector, who landed in Oxford, Maryland in 1747 3
- John Hector, who settled in Maryland in 1747
- Caspar Hector, who settled in New Jersey in 1771
- Frederick Hector, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1772
Hector Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Robert Hector, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 3
- Elizabeth, James, Margaret Hector, who arrived in New York in 1820
- Frederick Hector, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 3
- Charles Hector, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1873 3
Hector migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Hector Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- James Hector, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Isabella Watson" in 1846 4
- Elizabeth Hector, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Isabella Watson" in 1846 4
Hector 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:
Hector Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- George Nelson Hector, who landed in Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Contemporary Notables of the name Hector (post 1700) +
- Sir James Hector (1834-1907), Scottish geologist, naturalist, and surgeon
- Jean Hector dit Legros, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 5
- Manuel Hector Coto (1961-2023), Cuban-born American screenwriter, television and film director, and producer of films and television programs, known as the executive producer and showrunner of Star Trek: Enterprise in its final season
- Robert Hector MacQuarrie (1935-2021), Canadian politician and teacher from Northwest Territories, Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories (1979-1987)
- Henry Hector McFie OBE (1869-1957), Australian politician from Hobart, Tasmania
- Henry Hector Bolitho (1897-1974), prolific New Zealand author, novelist and biographer from Auckland who published 59 books
- Peter Hector McEachin, American Democratic Party politician, Member of South Carolina State Senate from Florence County, 1931-42, 1947-50; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1956
- J. Hector Desjardins, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Dover 2nd Ward; Elected 1956 6
- Ian Hector McKechnie (1941-2015), Scottish footballer who played from 1958 to 1974 and managed Sligo Rovers in 1979
- Lewis Hector Garrard (1829-1887), American author
Historic Events for the Hector family +
- Mrs. Catherine Hector (1841-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 7
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ISABELLA WATSON 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846IsabellaWatson.htm
- Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 9) Jean Hector. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, April 12) J. Desjardins. Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance