Huff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the name Huff date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence near a hill or steep ridge of land. The surname Huff is usually derived from the Old English word hoh, which means heel or projecting ridge of land. However, it is sometimes derived from the Old Norse word haugr, which means mound or hill. Furthermore, the name Huff may be derived from residence in one of a variety of similarly named places: Hoe is in Norfolk, Hoo is in Kent, places called Hooe are in Devon and Sussex, Hose is in Leicestershire, places named Heugh are in Durham and Northumberland, and settlements called Hough are found in both Cheshire and Derby.
Early Origins of the Huff family
The surname Huff was first found in Cheshire at Hough, a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East which dates back to the 13th century when it was first listed as Hohc. 1 2 3
Dusting off some centuries-old records we found, Wilielmus de Huff, registered in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4
The name is "especially common in Bedfordshire and Northants, fairly so in Suffolk, Essex, Herts and Bucks, and very common in Northumberland and Durham. The nominative singular gives Hough, in Scotland and Northern England Heugh." 5
Early History of the Huff family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Huff research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1564, 1618, 1651, 1660, 1681, 1687, 1699, 1717 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Huff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Huff Spelling Variations
Huff has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Huff have been found, including Hough, Huff, Houfe, Hoff, Hoffe and others.
Early Notables of the Huff family
Notables of this surname at this time include: John Hough (1651-1743), Bishop of Oxford (1699), and later Bishop of Worcester (1717), best known for the confrontation over his election as President at Magdalen College, Oxford (1681-1687.) He was "the son of John Hough...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Huff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Huff Ranking
In the United States, the name Huff is the 467th most popular surname with an estimated 59,688 people with that name. 6
Migration of the Huff family to Ireland
Some of the Huff family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Huff migration to the United States +
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Huffs to arrive on North American shores:
Huff Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Francis Huff, aged 20, who landed in Virginia in 1624 aboard the ship "Swan" 7
- Richard Huff, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 7
- Peter Huff, who arrived in New Jersey in 1675 7
Huff Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Hans Geo Huff, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 7
- Philip Peter Huff, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 7
- Johan Philip Huff, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1767 7
Huff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Philipp Huff, who landed in New York in 1843 7
- Philip Huff, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1843 7
- John Huff, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
- William Huff, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1851 7
- Valentine Huff, who landed in St Clair County, III in 1854 7
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Huff migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Huff Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Private. James Huff U.E., "Hough" (b. 1767) born in New York, USA from New York, USA who arrived at Machiche, Quebec c. 1779 he died in 1784 aged just 17, he enlisted in 1780 and served in the King's Royal Regiment of New York 8
- Mr. Paul Huff U.E. who settled in Adolphus Town [Adolphustown], Ontario c. 1784 8
- Mr. Solomon Huff U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 8
- Mr. Asa Huff U.E. who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 8
- Mr. Henry Huff U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 8
Huff 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:
Huff Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- W Huff, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1845
Contemporary Notables of the name Huff (post 1700) +
- Robert Lee "Sam" Huff (1934-2021), American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins, inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Tom Huff (1934-2013), American businessman and politician in the Washington House of Representatives 1995-2000
- Orlando Huff (b. 1978), American NFL football player
- Paul B. Huff (1918-1994), United States Army soldier, Medal of Honor recipient
- Michael Huff (b. 1983), American NFL football player
- Leon Huff (b. 1942), Afro-American songwriter and record producer
- Gene Huff (1929-2011), American politician, Kentucky State Senator
- David Huff (b. 1984), American Major League Baseball pitcher
- David Huff (b. 1961), American songwriter and record producer, and foundation member of Giant along with brother Dann
- Darrell Huff (1913-2001), American economist and author of "How to Lie with Statistics"
- ... (Another 46 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Huff family +
SS Atlantic
- C. Huff, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
USS Arizona
- Mr. Robert Glenn Huff, American Private from Texas, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 9
Suggested Readings for the name Huff +
- Hough and Huff Families of the U.S. by Granville W. Hough.
- A Huff Genealogy: Descendants of Engelbert Huff of Dutchess County, New York by George Lockwood Trigg.
Citations +
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "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
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html