Contents [hide]

Hislop History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Hislop History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Hislop

What does the name Hislop mean?

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Hislop come from when the family resided in a valley noted for having many hazel trees. This name belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. The surname Hislop is derived from the Old English word hæsel and the Old Norse word hesli, which both mean hazel, and from the Old English word hop, which refers to a valley or a hollow between two hills. 1

Early Origins of the Hislop family

The surname Hislop was first found in Oxfordshire at Islip, a parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Bicester, hundred of Ploughley. "This place, now an inconsiderable village, is remarkable as the birthplace of Edward the Confessor, whose father, Ethelred II, had a palace here." 2

Walter de Islip, who died after 1335, was an English-born cleric, statesman and judge. Born at Islip, he rose to become first Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer

His cousin, Simon Islip, who died in 1366, was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1349 and 1366.

In years later, Yorkshire would prove to be a homestead of the family as John Heslop was listed here in 1414. 3

We must look north to Scotland to find the lion's share of the family history. Here, the name literally meant "hazel-hope." Alexander Heselihope held land in Edinburgh in 1425, and William Heslihope, or Heslyhop, appears as rector and vicar of the church of Cortoquhy (or Cortochquhy) in 1429 and 1439. Stephen de Heslyhope, presbyter and notary public of Glasgow in 1446, appears again in 1455 as Stephen Heslop. Archibald Heslihop, "vtherwais callit Schir Suythe," had remission for reset of outlawed Rutherfurds in 1501. Thomas Heslop, "pensionario preposito ecclesie parochialis de Houston," is in record in 1525 (REG., 497). John Hesilhop was a witness in Glasgow in 1555 (Protocols, I), Hobe Heslop was a tenant of the abbot of Kelso in 1567 (Kelso, p. 520), Williame Hessilhoip, reidare at Stow, 1574 (RMR.), and Alexander Hasillip appears in Carsfern parish in 1684." 4

At about this time, "Heslop was the name of several proprietors in the Hexham division in the 17th century; the name is still numerous in the Hexham district." 5

Early History of the Hislop family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hislop research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1366, 1455, 1464, 1480, 1498, 1500, 1503 and 1532 are included under the topic Early Hislop History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hislop Spelling Variations

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. Hislop has been recorded under many different variations, including Heaslip, Hislop, Haslop, Haslip, Heslep, Hyslop and many more.

Early Notables of the Hislop family

Notables of the family at this time include Simon Islip (d. 1366), Archbishop of Canterbury, who derived his name from the village of Islip on the Cherwell, about six miles north of Oxford, where he was probably born. 6John Islip (1464-1532) was Abbot of the Monastery of Westminster. He claimed descent from Archbishop Simon Islip and it is commemorated today in John Islip Street, Westminster, London. "John entered the monastery of Westminster about 1480, and showed his administrative capacity in minor offices, till in 1498 he was elected prior, and on 27 Oct. 1500 abbot of Westminster. The first business which...
Another 184 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hislop Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hislop family to Ireland

Some of the Hislop 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.

Hislop migration to the United States +

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 Hislop or a variant listed above:

Hislop Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ebenezer Hislop, who arrived in Phildelphia in 1844

Hislop migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hislop Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Hislop, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
James Hislop, aged 8, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
Mary Hislop, aged 6, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
Diana Hislop, aged 32, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
John Hislop, aged 4, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Favourite" in 1815
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hislop migration to Australia +

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

Hislop Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James John Henry Hislop (1825-1909) was a convict transported to Western Australia, who became a teacher upon his release
Mr. Christopher Hislop, (b. 1811), aged 26, Scottish gardener who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Elizabeth Hislop, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" in 1839 8
Mr. John Hislop, English convict who was convicted in Durham, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "China" on 96th January 1846, arriving in Norfolk Island, Australia 9

Hislop 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:

Hislop Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Hislop, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Jura" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd September 1858 10
Mrs. Margaret Hislop, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow with 8 family members aboard the ship "Jura" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd September 1858 10
Mr. J. Hislop, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Palmyra" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 19th February 1858 11
Mrs. Hislop, British settler travelling from London with 8 children aboard the ship "Palmyra" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 19th February 1858 11
Mr. W. Hislop, Sr., Scottish settler travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th October 1861 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hislop (post 1700) +

James John Henry Hislop (1825-1909), English convict transported to Western Australia who after his time served became the first ex-convict in Western Australia to be appointed a teacher
Victoria Hislop (b. 1959), English author from Bromley, Kent
Neil Shaka Hislop CM (b. 1969), English former football goalkeeper from Hackney, London
The Reverend Stephen Hislop (1817-1863), Scottish missionary to India
Thomas Charles Atkinson Hislop (1888-1965), New Zealand politician, Mayor of Wellington (1931-1944), son of Thomas William Hislop
Joseph Hislop (1884-1977), Scottish lyric tenor, recipient of the Literis et Artibus (1922), the Order of Vasa (1929) and the Order of the Dannebrog in 1926
James Donald Hislop (b. 1954), Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward
Alex "Max" Hislop (b. 1895), Australian rules footballer
Makan Hislop (b. 1985), Trinidad and Tobago footballer who has made 21 appearances for the Trinidad and Tobago national football team
Tom Hislop (b. 1988), Australian rules footballer from Burnie, Tasmania
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) KATHERINE STEWART FORBES 1837 arrived Holdfast Bay, near Adelaide, on October 17, 1837. . Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837KatherineStewartForbes.htm
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 5th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/china
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html