Hatchkiss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Hatchkiss

The ancestors of the Hatchkiss family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Hatchkiss came from the Norman personal name Roger. Hotchkis was a baptismal name which is a pet form of Roger 1 as in "the son of little Hodge." 2

As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Hatchkiss family

Early History of the Hatchkiss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hatchkiss research. Another 164 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1453, 1470, 1645, 1677, 1690, 1765, 1790, 1826, 1836, 1872 and 1885 are included under the topic Early Hatchkiss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hatchkiss Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Hotchkiss, Hotchkis and others.

Early Notables of the Hatchkiss family

Herman Hotchkiss (1765-1836), an early settler of East Haven, Connecticut credited as founder of Fair Haven, Connecticut. Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss (1826-1885) was one of the leading American ordnance engineers of his...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hatchkiss Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hatchkiss family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hatchkiss or a variant listed above: Richard Hotchkiss, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Adam Hotchkiss settled in New England in 1659; William Hotchkiss settled in Maryland in 1775.