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![Show Contents]() Hitchant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Hitchant is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name Richard. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures. Early Origins of the Hitchant familyThe surname Hitchant was first found in Hertfordshire at Hitchin, a market town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of Hitchin and Pirton. 1 The place name pre-dates the Norman Conquest as the first record the place was found c. 945 as Hiccam. By the time of the Domesday Book, the town was known as Hiz, and literally meant "place in the territory of the tribe called Hicce. " 2 The river Hiz is nearby and no doubt the river's name was derived from the same. As far as the surname is concerned, the first record of the name was John Hichum who was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum of 1279 in Oxfordshire. A few years later, the name Hichoun was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1286. 3 Early History of the Hitchant familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hitchant research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1321, 1332, 1665, 1675 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Hitchant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hitchant Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Hitchant has undergone many spelling variations, including Hitchins, Hitchen, Hitchens, Hitchin, Hitchings, Hitchins, Hitching and many more. Early Notables of the Hitchant familyMore information is included under the topic Early Hitchant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Hitchant familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Hitchant were among those contributors: John Hitchens settled in Virginia in 1654; Arthur Hitchens settled in Maine in 1616 four years before the "Mayflower"; Margaret and Anne Hitchens settled in Barbados in 1663.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- 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)
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England
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