Show ContentsHepborn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hepborn Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Hepborn

What does the name Hepborn mean?

The surname Hepborn was first used by the descendants of a Boernician family of ancient Scotland. They lived in Durham but moved northward in 1329 to Chillingham in Northumberland, where they lived in the village of Hebburn in the parish of Chillingham. 1

Early Origins of the Hepborn family

The surname Hepborn was first found in Northumberland. Thomas de Heburn was on record in the Assize Rolls for that county in 1279. 2

They prospered here from 1271 until the 18th century, when the family line ended with an heiress. Adam de Hepburn (de Hylburne) was the first of the line. 3

One version of the tale goes that Hepburn was a prisoner of the Earl of March, who freed him and granted him lands for 'good and faithful service' after he saved the Earl's life from a feral (wild) horse. These lands were in East Lothian and the family spent the next several centuries aggressively acquiring new lands. 3

Early History of the Hepborn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hepborn research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1432, 1467, 1479, 1483, 1497, 1508, 1512, 1513, 1522, 1536, 1556, 1563, 1568, 1578, 1598, 1612, 1636, 1637 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Hepborn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hepborn Spelling Variations

A lack of rules and the tendency of scribes to spell according to the sound of the word plagued medieval spelling. Not surprisingly, an enormous number of spelling variations appeared. Hepborn has been written Heighborne, Haybourne, Haybourn, Haybirn, Haybyrne, Heighburn, Heighbyrne, Heighbirn, Hepboyrne, Hepbirn, Hepbyrne, Hepburn, Heighbourne, Heyburn, Hebborne, Hebbourne, Hebbirn, Hebbyrne, Hebboorne and many more.

Early Notables of the Hepborn family

Adam Hepburn, Master of Hailes (c. 1432-1479), Sheriff of Berwickshire (1467); Sir Patrick Hepburn of Dunsyre, 1st Lord Hailes (died 1483) was the feudal lord of Hailes and its castle in Haddingtonshire and a Lord of Parliament; Patrick Hepburn, Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Lord Hailes and 1st Earl of Bothwell (died 1508), Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He was the eldest son of Adam, second lord Hailes, and Helen, eldest daughter of Alexander, first lord Home. 4 Patrick Hepburn third Earl of Bothwell (1512?-1556), was the only son of Adam, second earl of Bothwell. Adam Hepburn of Craggis (died 1513), Master of the...
Another 210 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hepborn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hepborn family to Ireland

Some of the Hepborn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hepborn migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hepborn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Hepborn, (b. 1839), aged 26, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 5
  • Mrs. Isabella Hepborn, (b. 1840), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 5
  • Mr. Hugh Hepborn, (b. 1843), aged 22, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 5
  • Mr. James Hepborn, (b. 1859), aged 6, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 5

The Hepborn 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: Keep Tryst
  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. 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)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

Houseofnames.com on Facebook