Show ContentsHester History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Hester comes from when its first bearer worked as a 'Hayrester' or 'Hairster,' as originally 'hayre' was "a garment made of goat's hair. Hayrester, a maker of hayres.' 'Hayresters, workers in horsehair.' " 1

Alternatively, the name could have been for someone who was a "hastiler, one who superintended the roasts," from the Old French word "hasteur" or the Old French word "haste" for a "turnspit" or "spit." 2

Early Origins of the Hester family

The surname Hester was first found in Essex, where John Haster was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1440. Years later, Thomas Haster was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Wiltshire in 1576. 2

Early History of the Hester family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hester research. Another 43 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1579 and 1593 are included under the topic Early Hester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hester Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hester include Haster, Hasster, Hester and others.

Early Notables of the Hester family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • John Hester (d. 1593), English distiller, or, as he styled himself, 'practitioner in the Spagericall Arte,' who carried on business at Paul's Wharf, London, from about 1579 until his death in 1593(NBi...

Hester Ranking

In the United States, the name Hester is the 823rd most popular surname with an estimated 37,305 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Hester family to Ireland

Some of the Hester 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.


Hester migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hester or a variant listed above:

Hester Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Hester, who landed in Virginia in 1700 4
  • Kasper Hester, who arrived in New York in 1709 4
  • Jacob Hester, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
  • Joh Ludwig Hester, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
  • William Hester, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1762 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hester Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Daniel Hester, who arrived in Maryland in 1844 4
  • L. B. Hester to San Francisco in 1850
  • H. J. Hester to Texas in 1860
  • Joseph J Hester, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1860 4
  • August Hester to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1864
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hester migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hester Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Bridget Hester, aged 32 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Lord Sandon" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle In July 1847 5
  • Mr. Thomas Hester, aged 4 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Lady Milton" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle In July 1847 5

Hester migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hester Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Hester, English convict from Buckinghamshire, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6
  • Mr. John Hester, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. William Hester, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • William Hester, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Emily" 9
  • William Hester, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Emily" in 1849 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hester 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:

Hester Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Elizabeth Hester, (b. 1855), aged Infant, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd July 1856 10
  • Mrs. Mary Ann Hester, (b. 1828), aged 28, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd July 1856 10
  • Mr. Thomas Hester, (b. 1831), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd July 1856 10
  • Mr. Thomas Hester, (b. 1854), aged 2, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd July 1856 10
  • Emma Hester, aged 19, a waitress, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Hester (post 1700) +

  • Hubert Dwane "Hoot" Hester (1951-2016), American fiddle player, multi-instrumentalist, and country music and bluegrass artist, longtime member of the Grand Old Opry's staff band
  • Major-General John Hutchinson Hester (1886-1976), American Commanding General Tank Destroyer Center, Camp Hood, Texas (1943-1944) 11
  • Brigadier-General Hugh Bryan Hester (1895-1983), American Commanding General Australian Base Command, Services of Supply (1944-1945) 12
  • Phil Hester (b. 1966), American comic book artist, penciller and writer
  • Phillip Doyce Hester (b. 1955), American senior Vice President of R&D at National Instruments
  • Carolyn Hester (b. 1937), American folk singer and songwriter
  • Devin Hester (b. 1982), American football wide receiver
  • James McNaughton Hester (b. 1924), American university official and a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour
  • Charles L. Hester, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1972, 1980 13
  • Mrs. Cecil W. Hester, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1948, 1952 13
  • ... (Another 25 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Charles Hester, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 14


Suggested Readings for the name Hester +

  • Genealogy of the Bennington Family: Which Originated in Harford County, Maryland, with Notes on Other Bennington Families by William Hall.
  • Hester Genealogy: A Story of Some Descendants of John Hester, an Early Settler of Fleming County, Kentucky, Who Arrived in America in the Year 1740, Including a Genealogy an Many Collateral Families by Hester Geraldine Lester Searl.

  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 33)
  6. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The EMILY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Emily.htm
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 12) John Hester. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Hester/John_Hutchinson/USA.html
  12. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 12) Hugh Hester. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Hester/Hugh_Bryan/USA.html
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  14. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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