Contents [hide]

Humphrey History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Humphrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales
Ireland

The Humphrey surname comes from the Old French personal name Humfrey, a cognate of the Old German names Hunfrid and Humfrid. This name was originally derived from the Germanic elements "hun," which means "bear cub," and "frid" or "fred," which mean "peace." It was borne by a 9th century saint and Bishop of Therouanne, who was popular among Norman settlers of England. 1

Early Origins of the Humphrey family

The surname Humphrey was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where early Latin forms of the name were first used: Hunfridus, Humfridus. 2

Many records at this time were a mixture of Latin and Old English. Humfridus was recorded in Suffolk in 1186-1188, but by the 13th century records were often in English, as seen by William Humfrey, who was recorded in Bedfordshire in 1240. William Humfray, Umfrey was found in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1293 and a few years later, Roger Houmfrey was recorded in 1311. 3

The name is "rarely found north of a line drawn from the Wash to the Dee. Humphrey is confined to the eastern half of the area, in Berks, Norfolk, Surrey, Sussex, etc. Humphreys characterizes the western half, being most numerous in North Wales, and after that in Shropshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, etc. Both are rare or absent in the four south-western counties." 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had mixed entries for name as a forename and a surname in a wide variety of spellings: John Hunfray, Oxfordshire; Henry filius Umfridi, Oxfordshire; Peter Umfry, Oxfordshire; Umfrey le Gerische, Oxfordshire; and Richard Humfrey, Oxfordshire. 5

Early History of the Humphrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Humphrey research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1069, 1391, 1447, 1579, 1621, 1647, 1648, 1662, 1674, 1701, 1712, 1714, 1719, 1735 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Humphrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Humphrey Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Humphrey has occasionally been spelled Humphreys, Homfray, Humfrey, Humfrie, Humfries, Humfreys, Humphereys, Humphries, Humphrays, Humphray, Humphrey, Humphris, Humphry, Humphryes and many more.

Early Notables of the Humphrey family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Humphrey (1391-1447), the son of King Henry IV, who was Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Pembroke, and also a patron of letters
Sir William Humphreys, Lord Mayor of London in 1714
Humphrey Humphreys (1648-1712), Welsh clergyman, Bishop of Bangor and of Hereford (1701-1712)

Humphrey World Ranking

In the United States, the name Humphrey is the 599^th most popular surname with an estimated 49,740 people with that name. 6 However, in Australia, the name Humphrey is ranked the 928^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,250 people with that name. 7 And in New Zealand, the name Humphrey is the 883^rd popular surname with an estimated 830 people with that name. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Humphrey as 657^th with 9,976 people. 9

Migration of the Humphrey family to Ireland

Some of the Humphrey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Humphrey migration to the United States +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Humphrey

Humphrey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Humphrey, who settled in Salem in 1634
Amey Humphrey, who landed in Virginia in 1634 10
John Humphrey (c. 1597–1661), an English Puritan from Dorset who, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1634, not before being Deputy Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629-1630)
Jonas Humphrey, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1639 10
Michael Humphrey, who landed in Connecticut in 1642 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Humphrey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Humphrey, who arrived in Virginia in 1706 10
Evan Humphrey, who arrived in Virginia in 1710 10
Jane Humphrey, who landed in New England in 1719 10
Jennet Humphrey, who landed in New England in 1719 10
William Humphrey, who landed in New England in 1719 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Humphrey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alex Humphrey, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 10
Sarah Humphrey, aged 14, who arrived in New York in 1862 10

Humphrey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. John Humphrey, (b. 1883), aged 22, Cornish miner from Penzance, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Cedric" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 14th May 1905 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 11
Mr. William Humphrey, (b. 1881), aged 24, Cornish miner from Penzance, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 25th June 1905 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 11

Humphrey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Humphrey Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Humphrey U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 395 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York he stayed in New Brunswick and was part of the Cape Ann Association 12
Mrs. Racheal Humphrey U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 495 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York he stayed in New Brunswick and was part of the Cape Ann Association 12
Mr. Nicholas Humphrey U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 12
Mr. Thomas Humphrey U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 12
Mr. William Humphrey U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Humphrey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Humphrey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Humphrey, English convict who was convicted in Hertfordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. John Humphrey, British convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
George Humphrey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Phoebe" in 1846 15
Henry Humphrey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Phoebe" in 1846 15
Thomas Humphrey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Phoebe" in 1846 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Humphrey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Humphrey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Humphrey, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Westminster" in 1843
Mr. John Humphrey, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Evening Star" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand in 1858 16
John E. Humphrey, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1864
Charles Humphrey, aged 36, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1874
Catherine Humphrey, aged 34, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Humphrey (post 1700) +

Creed Humphrey (b. 1999), American football center for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League
George Magoffin Humphrey (1890-1970), American politician, Secretary of the Treasury (1953-1957)
Ralph Humphrey (1944-2023), American rock drummer for Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention
Claude B. Humphrey (1944-2021), American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014
Percy Gaston Humphrey (1905-1995), American jazz trumpet player and bandleader, leader of the Eureka Brass Band
Barbara Ann "Bobbi" Humphrey (b. 1950), American jazz flautist and singer
Doris Batcheller Humphrey (1895-1958), American dancer and choreographer, active in the early 1900s
Ryan Ashley Humphrey (b. 1979), American professional NBA basketball player
Gordon J. Humphrey (b. 1940), American politician, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (1979-1990)
Maud Humphrey (1868-1940), American commercial artist, illustrator and watercolorist and mother of actor Humphrey Bogart
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Humphrey family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Miss Mildred Alice Humphrey (1910-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Orewa, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 17

HMS Dorsetshire

Albert William Humphrey (d. 1945), British Ordinary Seaman aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 18

HMS Hood

Mr. Michael S T Humphrey (b. 1919), English Lieutenant (E) serving for the Royal Navy from St Helena, South Atlantic, Crown Colony time, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. W F Humphrey, British Lieutenant Commander, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 20

The Humphrey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: L'homme vrai aime son pays
Motto Translation: The true man loves his country.

Citations +

Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PHEOBE/PHOEBE 1845. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Phoebe.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html