Show ContentsHathen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Hathen family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Hatton, Cheshire. Another derivation of the name suggests that it comes from the Germanic personal name Hatto, which is composed of the element hadu, which means strife or contention. 1 Although both are valid, time has confused the two definitions and historians now disagree on which is valid in any individual case.

Early Origins of the Hathen family

The surname Hathen was first found in Cheshire where this "noble family were descended from Sir Adam Hatton, of Hatton, county Cheshire, grandson of Wulfrid, brother of Nigel, who was lord of Halton in the same county, by gift of Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, soon after the Conquest." 2

Early History of the Hathen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hathen research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1540, 1546, 1555, 1583, 1591, 1605, 1621, 1622, 1624, 1625, 1628, 1629, 1632, 1640, 1658, 1670, 1674, 1682, 1701, 1706, 1783 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Hathen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hathen Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Hatton, Hattons, Hattyn, Hattins, Hattans and others.

Early Notables of the Hathen family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Christopher Hatton KG (1540-1591), an English politician, Lord Chancellor of England and a favourite of Elizabeth I of England. "He was the second son of William Hatton of Holdenby, Northamptonshire, who died in 1546. The family was old, and claimed, though on doubtful evidence, to be of Norman lineage. Hatton was entered at St. Mary Hall, Oxford, probably about 1555, as a gentleman-commoner." 3 Sir Thomas Hatton, 1st Baronet (c.1583-1658), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Corfe...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hathen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hathen family to Ireland

Some of the Hathen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hathen family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Hathen name or one of its variants: John Hatton who settled in Virginia in 1613; seven years before the "Mayflower"; Charles Hatton settled in Barbados in 1680; Robert Hatton settled in Surinam in 1678.



The Hathen Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nil conscire sibi
Motto Translation: To have a conscience free from guilt.


  1. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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