Show ContentsHulsey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Hulsey reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Hulsey family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hulsey family lived in Hulse, a township, in the parish of Great Budworth, union and hundred of Northwich in Cheshire. 1 2

Hulse is derived from the Old English word holh, which means hollow or depression.

Early Origins of the Hulsey family

The surname Hulsey was first found in Cheshire where they are conjecturally descended from Bigot de Loges, the holder of these estates at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book. It is assumed that this noble may be assumed to be William Bigot, brother of the famous Roger Bigod, both of whom were at the Conquest in 1066. 3

The Royal County of Berkshire, home of Windsor Castle was home to an early branch of the family. "In 13th century Bartholomew de la Huse was of the same county (Testa de Neville); and in 1322 Peter de la Huse or Hoese was returned from Berkshire for Knight Service. " 4

In the 15th century, we found Thomas Hulse, East Cheshire in 1473 and the Register of the University of Oxford included Robert Hulse, Cheshire in 1581. 5

The Hulse Baronetcy, of Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex is a title created on 7 February 1739 for Edward Hulse, (c. 1682-1759) Physician in Ordinary to Queen Anne, George I and George II. 6 This Baronetcy continues to this day. Their family seat is Breamore House, Breamore, Hampshire.

Early History of the Hulsey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hulsey research. Another 199 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1616, 1660, 1682, 1708, 1714, 1744, 1759, 1790, 1800, 1802 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Hulsey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hulsey Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Huls, Hulse, Hulles, Hulsey and others.

Early Notables of the Hulsey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edward Hulse, 1st Baronet (c. 1682-1759), of Lincoln's Inn Fields, was Physician in Ordinary to Queen Anne, King George I and King George II.Sir Edward Hulse, 2nd Baronet (1714-1800) was an English peer, as was Sir Edward...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hulsey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hulsey Ranking

In the United States, the name Hulsey is the 3,108th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 7


United States Hulsey migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Hulsey name or one of its variants:

Hulsey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Hulsey, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 8
  • E. B. Hulsey, aged 23, who settled in America from London, in 1892
Hulsey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Lee Hulsey, aged 24, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
  • Allan Hulsey, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States, in 1922

Contemporary Notables of the name Hulsey (post 1700) +

  • Earl Henry Hulsey (1880-1961), American Dallas business man and former owner and operator of the Circle Theatre
  • Brett Hulsey (b. 1959), Wisconsin consultant and Democratic politician and legislator
  • William Henry Hulsey (1838-1909), American attorney, soldier, and politician
  • Corey Hulsey (b. 1977), American football guard of the National Football League
  • William Hulsey, American politician, Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, 1869-70 9
  • Clint Hulsey, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 93rd District, 1992 9
  • Brett Hulsey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1996, 2008 9


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook