The ancestors of the Hazelhurst surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in one of the settlements called Hazelhurst in Lancashire, Surrey, or Sussex, or near any woodland noted for its hazel trees. Thus, the surname Hazelhurst belongs to both the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, and 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 Hazelhurst was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat both before and after the Norman Conquest in the year 1066.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hazelhurst research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 133 and 1332 are included under the topic Early Hazelhurst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hazelhurst include Hazelhurst, Haselhurst, Hazlehurst, Haslehurst and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Hazelhurst Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: