Show ContentsHeming History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Heming

What does the name Heming mean?

The ancestors of the Heming family may have been Viking settlers. Their surname comes from a place name of Norse origins, from when they lived in the Orkneys, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Heming family

The surname Heming was first found in the Orkneys, where "Hemming was one of the witnesses to the charter by King Duncan 11 to the monks of S. Cuthbert in 1094, the earliest Scottish charter." 1

It is presumed that some of the family moved south to England, as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Henry Hemmeng, Suffolk; John Hemming, Oxfordshire; and John Hemmyng, Kent. 2

The Latin form of the name Hemmingus was listed in the Domesday Book. 3

Hemming (fl. 1096), was an early English chronicler and was sub-prior of Worcester during the episcopate of Bishop Wulstan (d. 1096), at whose request he compiled the chartulary of the church of Worcester, still extant in Hemming's autograph in MS. Cotton. 4

Hemming de Welega was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Essex in 1166 and later, Walter, William Hemming was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Somerset in 1170. 5

"Hemming or Heming, a name having its present home in the Evesham district, is an Anglo - Saxon Clan name. It was well known in Worcester in the 17th century, Richard Heming being the name of the mayor of the city in 1627 and 1657, and John Heming in 1677 (G.); the name is still in that city. One of the name was buried in Tenbury church in 1691 (N.). It is also now represented in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire, sometimes in the form of Hemmings." 6

Early History of the Heming family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heming research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1566, 1602, 1623, 1630, 1653, 1677, 1684, 1695, 1700 and 1945 are included under the topic Early Heming History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heming Spelling Variations

Standards against which to judge the accuracy of spellings and translations did not yet exist in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations in names dating from that era, are thus, an extremely common occurrence. Heming has been recorded as Hemming, Heming, Hemming, Hemmings, Hemyng and others.

Early Notables of the Heming family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • John Heminges (sometimes spelled Heming or Heminge) (1566-1630), an actor in the King's Men, the playing company for which William Shakespeare wrote. He was also co-editor of the First Folio, the coll...
  • William Heminges (1602-c.1653), also Hemminges, Heminge, and other variants, was a playwright and theatrical figure of the Caroline period and the ninth child and third son of John Heminges, the afore...
  • In the early twentieth century, three ships were named SS Heminge (1945), the last of which was built by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Co, Troon, Ayrshire
  • Edmund Heming (fl. 1695), was a projector, who lived 'near the Still-yard in Thames Street,' obtained letters patent about 1684 conveying to him for a term of five years the exclusive right of lighti...


Heming migration to the United States +

The New World was far from the oppressive regime of the old country. It was a place where there was more land than people and political and religious freedom were far easier to come by. Many Scots even got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. In recent years, interest in this heritage has been generated by Clan societies and regular highland games in North America. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Heming name:

Heming Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jo Heming, aged 25, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 7
  • Joe Heming, who settled in Virginia in 1635
  • Mr. John Heming, (b. 1610), aged 25, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 8
  • Thomas Heming, who settled in Virginia in 1654
Heming Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Adelheid Heming, who landed in America in 1833 7
  • Jos Heming, who landed in America in 1845 7
  • M Cath Heming, who arrived in America in 1847 7
  • M Christ Heming, who landed in America in 1848 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Heming (post 1700) +

  • Robin John "Rob" Heming (1932-2023), Australian rugby union player who played 21 tests for Australia between 1961 and 1967, inducted into the Rugby Australia Hall of Fame


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


Houseofnames.com on Facebook