Show ContentsHummerstone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Hummerstone family

The surname Hummerstone was first found in Lincolnshire at Humberston, a large sea coast village and civil parish to the south of Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire. The village takes its name from a large boulder, the Humber Stone, which can still be seen at the entrance to the village library.

The village dates back to the Domesday Book 1 where is was recorded as Humbrestone and literally meant "place by the boundary stone in the River Humber" 2

Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Humberston, held by Ivo Tailbois, chief tenant who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Hummerstone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hummerstone research. Another 197 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1102, 1186, 1476, 1510, 1560 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Hummerstone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hummerstone Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Humberston, Humerston, Humberstone, Humblestone, Humbleston, Hummerston, Hummerstone, Humerston, Humerstone, Hunbertson, Hubertson, Humberson, Humerston, Humberstone, Umberston, Umberstone and many more.

Early Notables of the Hummerstone family

More information is included under the topic Early Hummerstone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hummerstone family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Hummerstone or a variant listed above: John Humberston, who arrived in Maryland in 1661; Henry Humberstone, who arrived in New Haven, CT between the years 1620-1650; as well as John Humberstone Sr., who was recorded in the census of Ontario of 1871..


Contemporary Notables of the name Hummerstone (post 1700) +

  • George Alfred Hummerstone MBE, British Works Manager, British Overseas Airways Corporation, appointed at the 1946 New Years Honours
  • Norman Hummerstone MBE, British founder of The Little Ship Club, awarded an RYA Lifetime Commitment award by Princess Anne in 2007


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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