The Heet name has descended through the generations from the ancient
Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived on a heath, which is an area of level, uncultivated land with poor, coarse, undrained soil and rich deposits of peat or peaty humus. The surname Heet 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.
Early Origins of the Heet family
The surname Heet was first found in
Durham where it was first listed as Atte-Hethe, Apud Hethe and Del la Hethe in the
Rotuli Hundredorum of 1279.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. The name was denoted for someone who lived on or by a heath, typically filled with heather.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8) Kirby's Quest for
Somerset listed Adam
atte Hethe and John
atte Hethe during the reign of Edward III.
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print. Later in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, Robert del Heth was listed. Thomas Atte-Hethe was rector of Ringstead Parva, Norfolk in 1376 and Ralph atte Heythe was rector of Rockland Tofts, Norfolk in 1398. [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Heet family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heet research.
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1577, 1585, 1575, 1649, 1501, 1578, 1629, 1664 and 1661 are included under the topic Early Heet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Heet Spelling Variations
Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Heet has undergone many
spelling variations, including Heath, Hethe and others.
Early Notables of the Heet family (pre 1700)
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heet Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Heet family to Ireland
Some of the Heet 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.
Migration of the Heet family to the New World and Oceana
To escape the unstable social climate in
England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Heet were among those contributors: William Heath settled in New
England in 1620; later moving to Boston in 1632; Amory, Henry, Isaac, Jane, John, Margaret, Mary, Nicholas, Thomas and William Heath, all settled in Virginia between 1640 and 1680.
The Heet 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: Espere mieux
Motto Translation: Hope for better.