Hat History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Hat

What does the name Hat mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Hat comes from when its first bearer worked as a person who made or sold hats. 1 2 3 4 The surname Hat is derived from the Old English word hætt, which means hat. Occupational names frequently were derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames.

The surname Hat may also be derived from residence by a hill, since the Old English word hætt, also means hill. Hathitch Farm and Hathouse Farm are both in Worcestershire, and may be sources of the surname Hat.

Early Origins of the Hat family

The surname Hat was first found in Dorset, England where Randulf Hat was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1168. Later Richard atte Hatte was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1327. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included entries for: Thomas del Hat, Oxfordshire; Henry Hat, Wiltshire; and William Hat, Norfolk. 2

Another source has a different origin of the family: "Hatt and Hutt may be in most cases a contraction of Hiatt, also an Oxfordshire name. In the 13th century we find Hat in Oxfordshire and Wilts, and Hut in Oxfordshire, where it is associated with Le Hurt." 6

Early History of the Hat family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hat research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1148, 1279, 1327, 1599, 1634, 1635, 1636, 1658 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Hat History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hat Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hat include Hatt, Hat and others.

Early Notables of the Hat family

John Hatt, Esq., (1599-1658), of Leckhampstead, London & Orsett. Attorney of the Guildhall, London
Dame Dorothy Appleton (nee Hatt) (1636-1719), wife of Sir William Appleton, 5th Baronet Appleton of South Benfleet, Essex and daughter of John Hatt, Esq., (1599-1658), of Leckhampstead, London & Orset...

Migration of the Hat family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hat or a variant listed above: John Hatt who arrived in Virginia in 1652; Elizabeth Hatt arrived in Virginia in 1677; Thomas Hatt settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.

Sources +

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)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.