The distinguished and ancient surname Haga is Old English in origin, and traces its history back to the Middle Ages, when the island of Britain was inhabited by the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the Old English "haga" or the Old Norse "hagi," which both mean "dweller by the haw." It is likely that the name was first borne by someone who lived near a hedged field or enclosure. Although now the name is pronounced as a single syllable, it was originally pronounced as two, as can be seen from the spelling “Hag-he”. Most likely, the second syllable was a hard “g” sound; the name was probably pronounced “hah-geh”.
The surname Haga was first found in Yorkshire, where Jollan de Hagh was recorded in 1229. The Scottish branch lived in Bemersyde for many centuries after their arrival in Scotland.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haga research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1800 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Haga History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The name, Haga, occurred in many references, and from time to time, it was spelt Haig, Haigh, Hague, Hait, Haight, Hate, Haga and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Haga Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The New World beckoned settlers from the Scottish-English borders. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Among the early settlers bearing the Haga surname who came to North America were: