Hillyard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Hillyard is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in Surrey. As a local name, it was derived from the local 'at the hill-garth' or 'hill-yard.' 1
"Hildyard, formerly Hildheard, [was] an ancient personal name. The family are said to have sprung from Robert Hildheard, of Normanby, Yorkshire, in the year 1109." 2
Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old German Hildigard, Hildiardis (f) ‘war stronghold’ 3
And finally, the name could also have been an occupational name for a hellier who was a roofer, tiler, or thatcher. 4
Early Origins of the Hillyard family
The surname Hillyard was first found in Surrey where the name was first listed as a forename, Hildiard de Trule in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1206. Hyldeiard (with no forename) was registered in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1228 and Robert Hildyard, Hiliard was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for 1275 in Yorkshire. 3
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Robert de Hildgard, Yorkshire; Robert de Hildyard, Yorkshire; Robert Hiliard, Yorkshire; Robert Hildeyerd, Yorkshire. "These four entries represent, no doubt, the same individual." 1
Early History of the Hillyard family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hillyard research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1109, 1485, 1537, 1602, 1612, 1619, 1640, 1660, 1670, 1685, 1689, 1690, 1716, 1729, 1743, 1746, 1781 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Hillyard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hillyard Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Hillyard are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Hillyard include: Hilliard, Hildyard, Hillard, Hildheard and others.
Early Notables of the Hillyard family
Notables of the family at this time include Sir Christopher Hildyard (d. 1602), whose tomb is in Church of St. German in Winestead, as well as a Hildyard, Sheriff of Nottingham.
Nicholas Hilliard (1537-1619), was an English miniature painter, court painter to Elizabeth and to James I. His son, Lawrence Hilliard (d. 1640), English miniature painter continued his father's work. 5
Thomas Hildeyard (1690-1746), was a Jesuit, of a respectable Lincolnshire...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hillyard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hillyard Ranking
In the United States, the name Hillyard is the 12,409th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6
Hillyard migration to the United States +
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Hillyard or a variant listed above:
Hillyard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Richard Hillyard, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1683 7
Hillyard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- W. Hillyard, aged 63, who landed in America, in 1894
Hillyard Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Edward Hillyard, aged 34, who settled in America from Liverpool, in 1900
- M. Hillyard, aged 22, who landed in America from Kilmarnock, in 1903
- Louisa Hillyard, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Weedon, in 1905
- Percival Hillyard, aged 20, who immigrated to America from Weeden, England, in 1907
- James Wm. Hillyard, aged 31, who immigrated to the United States from Arunde, England, in 1908
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hillyard migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Hillyard Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. Samuel Hillyard U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 170 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York 8
Hillyard Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Herbert Hillyard, aged 31, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1918
Hillyard migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Hillyard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. James Hillyard, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for life, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
- Mr. Henry Burgess Hillyard, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 10th August 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
- Miss Jane Hillyard, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 16th November 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Contemporary Notables of the name Hillyard (post 1700) +
- Lyle W. Hillyard (b. 1940), American politician and an attorney, Member of the Utah Senate (1984-)
- Newton S. Hillyard, American founder of Hillyard Disinfectant Company in 1907 which later became Hillyard Inc, a privately owned cleaning products company in St. Joseph, Missouri
- Dave Hillyard, American tenor saxophonist
- Ronald William "Ron" Hillyard (b. 1952), English former football goalkeeper
- Commander George Whiteside Hillyard (1864-1943), British gold medalist tennis player at the 1908 London Olympics
- Brame Hillyard (1876-1959), British tennis player who was the first tennis player to appear at Wimbledon wearing shorts rather than trousers
Citations +
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Burke, John and Burke, Sir Bernard, C.B. LL.D Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage
. London: Harrison, 59, Pall Mall, 1865, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
- Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia