The surname Heights was first found in Derbyshire, where the name appeared in the late 13th century. The Heights name, like many surnames, is probably topographical in origin, referring to someone who lived at the height, or summit of a hill. Another possibility is that the name referred to a characteristic of its first bearer, in this case probably the fact that he was tall.
Early History of the Heights family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heights research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1275 and 1279 are included under the topic Early Heights History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Heights Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Height, Hite, Hight, Hyte and others.
Early Notables of the Heights family
More information is included under the topic Early Heights Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Heights family
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Heights or a variant listed above: Jacob Height, who came to Maryland in 1665; as well as Anthony Height, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765. One of the first people to arrive bearing the Hite spelling of the name was Peter Hite, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733..
