Hiser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Hiser surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the village and township of Hessay, which is in the parish of Moor Monkton in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Hiser belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Hiser family

The surname Hiser was first found in West Yorkshire at Hessay, a village and civil parish that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Hesdesai. 1

By the 12th century, the place name had evolved to Heslesaia and literally meant "marshland or island where hazels grow," from the Old English words "haesel" + "sae" + "eg." 2

A search through early rolls showed: Robert de Hessey in the Curia Regis Rolls for Yorkshire in 1208 and Robert de Hessay in the Assize Rolls for Yorkshire in 1219. 3 (These entries may be for the same person)

The Hundredorum Rolls for 1273 proved the widespread use of the name in early times as a search found John de Hesey, Cambridgeshire and Henry Hesee, Salop (Shropshire) as both holding lands in their respective shires.

Sewal de Hessay was listed as a Freeman of York, 2 Edward I (during the second year of the reign of King Edward I.) Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus de Hessay, Robertus de Hessay and Nicholaus de Hessay, of Hessay. 4

Early History of the Hiser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hiser research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1272, 1273, 1307, 1379, 1773, 1780, 1785, 1786, 1814, 1818, 1870 and 1892 are included under the topic Early Hiser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hiser Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hiser include Hessey, Hessy, Hessay, Hesee, Hesey and others.

Early Notables of the Hiser family

Distinguished members of the family include James Augustus Hessey (1785-1870), an English publisher who co-founded the publishing company Taylor and Hessey with John Taylor. James was an acquaintance of John Keats, one of the principal poets of the English Romantic movement as Keats wrote a letter to him on October 9, 1818. James was the son of...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hiser Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hiser Ranking

In the United States, the name Hiser is the 11,854^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Hiser family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Daniel Hessey, who sailed to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1840.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/