Hump History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of HumpWhat does the name Hump mean? The ancestors of the bearers of the Hump family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the village of Hampton in the dioceses of Worcester, Hereford, London, Exeter, and Lichford. 1 Another source notes "there are at least thirteen parishes of this name in England, representing the the Dioceses of Worcester, London, Hereford, Oxford, Exeter, and Lichfield." 2 The family may have originated in Normandy as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists: William de Hantona, Normandy, 1198 and William, Aelis, Gervase, Osbert, Walter de Hantona, Normandy, 1180-98. Alexander, Reiner, Roger, Simon de Hamton, England, 1198. 3 Early Origins of the Hump familyThe surname Hump was first found in Staffordshire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated at Wolverhampton with manor and estates in that shire. However, the name has three distinct origins: from the Old English word ham-tun as in "home farm, homestead"; from the Old English words hamm + tun, meaning "farmstead in an enclosure or river bend"; and finally from the Old English hean + tun meaning "high farmstead." 4 The earliest place name found was Hamtona in 716 which later became Hampton Lovett which is now a village and civil parish in the Wychavon district of the county of Worcestershire. The Domesday Book listed the following place names: Hamtune, Hantone, Hamntone Hantune, Hantone and Hantun. 4 The first record of the family was found in Oxfordshire where the Cartulary of Osney Abbey lists Philip de Hamtona in 1166. Later, Edith de Hampton was listed in the Assize Rolls for Worcestershire in 1221 and Richard Hampton was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 5 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had quite a few listings of the family: John de Hampton, Somerset; William de Hamptone, Huntingdonshire; Nicholas de Hampton, Wiltshire; Philip de Hampton, Cambridgeshire; and Geoffrey de Hampton, Lincolnshire. 2 But another source claims the name goes back to Saxon times. "Some Hamptons (e.g. in cos. Hereford and Somerset) occur in charters of the A.- Saxon period as Hamtún and Homtún; others (e.g. in cos. Gloucester and Warwick) as Heámtúne or Heántúne. Southampton occurs as Hamtún ('æt Hamtúne') in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 837, which gives name to Hampshire. Some Hamptons (e.g. High Hampton, Devonshire, and Hampton-on-the-Hill, Warwickshire) indicate their etymology by later prefixes or suffixes." 6 In Scotland, the name is "from one of the many Hamptons in England. Bardsley says there are at least thirteen parishes of the name there Rogerus de Hamtone witnessed resignation of the lands of Edeluestun to the church of Glasgow, 1233." 7 The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island in New York are a group of villages and hamlets in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton that collectively date back to the late nineteenth century when the area changed from a farming to a popular destination for the wealthy. Early History of the Hump familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hump research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1221, 1327, 1552, 1611, 1612, 1625 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hump History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hump Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hump include Hampton, Hamptonne and others. Early Notables of the Hump familyNotables of this surname at this time include: Christopher Hampton (1552-1625), Archbishop of Armagh, called John in the printed Patent Rolls, was born at Calais in 1552, and was of English descent, educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. On the death of Brutus (or Brute) Babington, D.D., Bishop of Derry, he was nominated to that see (Cat. State Papers, Ireland, 1611-14, p. 181)... Migration of the Hump family to IrelandSome of the Hump family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Hump familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hump or a variant listed above: Joanne Hampton who settled in Virginia in 1621; with her husband William; Anne Hampton settled in Barbados in 1697; John Hampton settled in Virginia in 1634. In Newfoundland, Robert Hampton was a grand juror of St. John's in 1811.
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