Show ContentsHaslop History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Haslop surname lived in a valley noted for having many hazel trees. This name belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. The surname Haslop is derived from the Old English word hæsel and the Old Norse word hesli, which both mean hazel, and from the Old English word hop, which refers to a valley or a hollow between two hills. [1]

Early Origins of the Haslop family

The surname Haslop was first found in Oxfordshire at Islip, a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Bicester, hundred of Ploughley. "This place, now an inconsiderable village, is remarkable as the birthplace of Edward the Confessor, whose father, Ethelred II, had a palace here." [2]

Walter de Islip, who died after 1335, was an English-born cleric, statesman and judge. Born at Islip, he rose to become first Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer

His cousin, Simon Islip, who died in 1366, was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1349 and 1366.

In years later, Yorkshire would prove to be a homestead of the family as John Heslop was listed here in 1414. [3]

We must look north to Scotland to find the lion's share of the family history. Here, the name literally meant "hazel-hope." Alexander Heselihope held land in Edinburgh in 1425, and William Heslihope, or Heslyhop, appears as rector and vicar of the church of Cortoquhy (or Cortochquhy) in 1429 and 1439. Stephen de Heslyhope, presbyter and notary public of Glasgow in 1446, appears again in 1455 as Stephen Heslop. Archibald Heslihop, "vtherwais callit Schir Suythe," had remission for reset of outlawed Rutherfurds in 1501. Thomas Heslop, "pensionario preposito ecclesie parochialis de Houston," is in record in 1525 (REG., 497). John Hesilhop was a witness in Glasgow in 1555 (Protocols, I), Hobe Heslop was a tenant of the abbot of Kelso in 1567 (Kelso, p. 520), Williame Hessilhoip, reidare at Stow, 1574 (RMR.), and Alexander Hasillip appears in Carsfern parish in 1684." [4]

At about this time, "Heslop was the name of several proprietors in the Hexham division in the 17th century; the name is still numerous in the Hexham district." [5]

Early History of the Haslop family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haslop research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1366, 1455, 1464, 1480, 1498, 1500, 1503 and 1532 are included under the topic Early Haslop History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haslop 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 Haslop 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. The variations of the name Haslop include: Heaslip, Hislop, Haslop, Haslip, Heslep, Hyslop and many more.

Early Notables of the Haslop family

Notables of the family at this time include Simon Islip (d. 1366), Archbishop of Canterbury, who derived his name from the village of Islip on the Cherwell, about six miles north of Oxford, where he was probably born. [6]John Islip (1464-1532) was Abbot of the Monastery of Westminster. He claimed descent from Archbishop Simon Islip and it is commemorated today in John Islip Street, Westminster, London. "John entered the monastery of Westminster about 1480, and showed his administrative capacity in minor offices, till in 1498 he was elected prior, and on 27 Oct. 1500 abbot of Westminster. The first business which...
Another 184 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Haslop Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Haslop family to Ireland

Some of the Haslop 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.


United States Haslop 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 Haslop or a variant listed above:

Haslop Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J Haslop, who landed in San Francisco California in 1851 [7]

Australia Haslop migration to Australia +

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

Haslop Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • David King Haslop, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asiatic" in 1849 [8]


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  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. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ASIATIC 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Asiatic.htm


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