Show ContentsHempil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Scottish history reveals Hempil was first used as a surname by the Strathclyde-Briton people. It was a name for someone who lived in Galston, in the county of Ayrshire. 1

Early Origins of the Hempil family

The surname Hempil was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Hempil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hempil research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1689, 1704, 1716, 1718, 1741 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hempil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hempil Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. Hempil has been spelled Hemphill, Hempill, Hempsill, Hempshall, Hemshall and many more.

Early Notables of the Hempil family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Samuel Hemphill (d. 1741), Irish Presbyterian minister, a native of Ulster, and probably trained for the ministry in one of the Presbyterian academies in the north of Ireland. He appears to have entered at...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hempil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hempil family to Ireland

Some of the Hempil family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 92 words (7 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 Hempil family

Unwelcome in their beloved homeland, many Scots sailed for the colonies of North America. There, they found land and freedom, and even the opportunity to make a new nation in the American War of Independence. These Scottish settlers played essential roles in the founding of the United States, and the shaping of contemporary North America. Among them: John Hemphill settled in New Jersey in 1792; Samuel Hemphill settled in Philadelphia in 1734; Alexander, Charles, Daniel, David, Henry, Hugh, James, Joseph, Robert, Samuel and William Hemphill all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..



The Hempil 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: Constanter ac non timide
Motto Translation: With constancy, not timidity.


  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)


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