The Anglo-Saxon name Highway comes from when the family resided in Wiltshire, where they took their name from the place-name Highway. The place-name Highway was spelt in the Domesday Book of 1086, as Hiwei. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English elements heg and weg, which meant "road used for carrying hay." The original bearer of the name may have resided nest to such a feature; however, the late date of the first appearance of the surname (1324) suggests that the place-name preceded the surname and that the surname is directly derived from the place.
The surname Highway was first found in Wiltshire, where evidence suggests they held a family seat before the Norman Conquest.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Highway research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1272, 1307, and 1620 are included under the topic Early Highway History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Highway has been recorded under many different variations, including Highway, Heyweye, Hiwei, Heighway and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Highway Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Highway or a variant listed above: