Hitchings History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Hitchings is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the baptismal name Richard. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.
Early Origins of the Hitchings family
The surname Hitchings was first found in Hertfordshire at Hitchin, a market town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Hitchin and Pirton. 1 The place name pre-dates the Norman Conquest as the first record the place was found c. 945 as Hiccam. By the time of the Domesday Book, the town was known as Hiz, and literally meant "place in the territory of the tribe called Hicce. " 2 The river Hiz is nearby and no doubt the river's name was derived from the same. As far as the surname is concerned, the first record of the name was John Hichum who was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum of 1279 in Oxfordshire. A few years later, the name Hichoun was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1286. 3
Early History of the Hitchings family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hitchings research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1321, 1332, 1665, 1675 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Hitchings History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hitchings Spelling Variations
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Hitchings has been recorded under many different variations, including Hitchins, Hitchen, Hitchens, Hitchin, Hitchings, Hitchins, Hitching and many more.
Early Notables of the Hitchings family
More information is included under the topic Early Hitchings Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hitchings migration to the United States +
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hitchings or a variant listed above:
Hitchings Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Sarah Hitchings, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 4
Hitchings migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Hitchings Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. Amos Hitchings U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association 5
- Mr. David Hitchings U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association 5
- Mr. Josiah Hitchings U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association 5
- Mr. Josiah Hitchings Jr., U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Cape Ann Association 5
- Mr. Amos Hitchings U.E., "Hithins" who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Penobscot Association 5
Hitchings migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Hitchings Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- John Hitchings, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Aboukir" in 1847 6
Hitchings 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:
Hitchings Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- V.T. Hitchings, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ashburton" in 1857
Contemporary Notables of the name Hitchings (post 1700) +
- Hector M. Hitchings, American politician, Candidate for Justice of New York Supreme Court 1st District, 1912
- George Herbert Hitchings (1905-1998), American doctor who shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- Tracy Hitchings (1962-2022), English musician and former lead vocalist for the progressive rock band Landmarq
- Lionel Hitchings (b. 1936), English cricketer who represented Buckinghamshire in the Minor Counties Championship between 1956 and 1968
- Henry Hitchings (b. 1974), English author, reviewer and critic, awarded the 2008 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ABOUKIR 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Aboukir.htm