The Hobgood surname is derived from the Old English "habban," meaning "god."
The surname Hobgood was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1280 when John Hauegod was on record in Somerset.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hobgood research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1343, 1455, 1487, and 1545 are included under the topic Early Hobgood History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Hobgood has appeared include Hapgood, Habgood, Havegood, Habbgood, Abgood and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Hobgood Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Hobgood arrived in North America very early: Shadrach Hapgood, who came to Massachusetts in 1656, aboard the "Speedwell"; Daniell Habgood, who came to Barbados sometime between 1682 and 1686.