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Show ContentsHalls History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The first bearers of the distinguished surname Halls came to England in the great wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is occupational in origin, stemming from the primary activity of the bearer. It is derived from the Old French term "halle," which referred to a large manor house, which indicates that the original bearer of the name worked at the manor of the local Lord in some role such as a servant or chamberlain.

Not all of the family moved to England, as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Serlo de Haula and Robert de Hala of Normandy in 1198. [1]

"The principal apartment in all old mansions was the hall, and in feudal times it was a petty court of justice as well as the scene of entertainment. The chief servitor when the lord was resident, or the tenant when he was non-resident, would naturally acquire such a surname; and hence its frequency." [2]

Early Origins of the Halls family

The surname Halls was first found in Lincolnshire, England, where the family is directly descended from Earl Fitzwilliam, who held a family seat at Greatford Hall in Lincolnshire after the Norman Conquest. [1]

The younger son of this noble house, Arthur FitzWilliam, came to be known as "Hall" so as to distinguish him from his senior brother. Hence, Arthur Hall was the first known bearer of the name, appearing on record around the year 1090. [1]

"Two principal areas of greatest frequency: one in the north of England in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, where it attains the greatest relative frequency, extending; however, in moderate numbers across the border into central Scotland; the other in the midland counties, especially in Derbyshire." [3]

Warin de Halls was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Essex in 1178, Robert de la Hall in Hampshire in 1199, Alan atte Halle in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296, Robert de Hall in the Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire in 1327, and Richard in the Halle in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. [4]

Years later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two listings for the family with the same early spelling: Roger de la Halle, Cambridgeshire; and Walter de la Halle, Salop (Shropshire). Later again, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus atte Hall and Isabella at ye Halle. [5]

Early History of the Halls family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Halls research. Another 260 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1105, 1340, 1600, 1574, 1656, 1613, 1668, 1662, 1668, 1610, 1665, 1669, 1654, 1656, 1619, 1667, 1654, 1660, 1637, 1690, 1688, 1690, 1620, 1687, 1776, 1600, 1630 and are included under the topic Early Halls History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Halls Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Hall, Halle, Haule, Haul, Hal, De Aule and others.

Early Notables of the Halls family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Joseph Hall (1574-1656), an English bishop, satirist and moralist; George Hall (c.1613-1668), an English Bishop of Chester (1662-1668); Thomas Hall (1610-1665), an English clergyman and ejected minister; Charles Hall (died 1669), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654 and 1656; Thomas Hall (1619-1667), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1654 and 1660; Timothy Hall (c.1637-1690)...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Halls Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Halls Ranking

In the United States, the name Halls is the 10,070th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [6]

Ireland Migration of the Halls family to Ireland

Some of the Halls family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Halls migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Halls Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Halls, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 [7]
  • Samuel Halls, who landed in Maryland in 1662 [7]
  • Margaret Halls, who landed in Maryland in 1672 [7]
  • John Halls, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 [7]
Halls Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Purbick Halls, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 [7]
Halls Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Oloff O Halls, who arrived in Wisconsin, Maryland in 1867 [7]
Halls Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Henry Halls, who landed in Arkansas in 1900 [7]

Australia Halls migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Halls Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Halls, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
  • Mr. John Halls, (b. 1803), aged 30 born in St. Agnes, Cornwall, UK convicted in Bodmin on 2nd July 1833, sentenced for life for stealing a cart and cow, transported aboard the ship "Moffatt" in 1834 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia [9]
  • Mr. John Halls (b. 1803), aged 30, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 2nd July 1833, sentenced for life for stealing a cart, a pair of shafts, an axle tree, and cartwheels from John Tremain, transported aboard the ship "Moffatt" on 4th January 1834 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia [10]
  • Mr. William Halls, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for life, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 2nd November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [11]
  • James Halls, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Brightman" in 1840 [12]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Halls 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:

  • John Halls, aged 23, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
  • Ralph Clement Halls, aged 18, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
Halls Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Halls, aged 23, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" in 1850
  • Ralph Clement Halls, aged 18, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" in 1850
  • Joseph Halls, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Schiehallion" in 1872
  • William H. Halls, aged 20, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
  • Emily Halls, aged 20, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Halls (post 1700) +

  • John James Halls (1791-1834), English painter, a native of Colchester, was Christened by his father after Jean-Jacques Rousseau [13]
  • Andrew Thomas "Andy" Halls (b. 1992), English footballer who has played since 2009
  • John Halls (b. 1982), former English footballer who played from 2000 to 2012
  • Mr. Walter Halls, British alderman, held the position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1937 to 1938, he was Lord Mayor in 1940
  • Evelyn Halls (b. 1972), Australian fencer at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics
  • Jo Halls (b. 1973), Australian fencer at the 2000 and 2008 Summer Olympics
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Wilfred C Halls (b. 1917), English Ordinary Signalman serving for the Royal Navy from Brightlingsea, Essex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [14]
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. John William Halls, British Stoker 2ne Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking [15]
  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. 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)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  9. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th March 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BRIGHTMAN 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Brightman.htm
  13. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
  14. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  15. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
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