Show ContentsHurste History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hurste is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived close to a wooded region or thicket. Hurste is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Literally, the name was derived from the Saxon word for "a wood, a grove; fruit-bearing tree." 1

Early Origins of the Hurste family

The surname Hurste was first found in Yorkshire the "surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'At the hurst,' a wood, a thicket. This surname has ramified in the most remarkable manner in the West Riding of Yorkshire." 2

The earliest record the family was Roger del Hurst who was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1246. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 was one of the first rolls to list early spellings of the name: Iyode Hirst; and Richard de Hirst, both listed in Huntingdonshire. The Writs of Parliament of 1302 listed John atte Hurst. Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Willelmus del He'rst; Adam del Hyrst; and Willelmus del Hirst. 2

Early History of the Hurste family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hurste research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1629, 1648, 1690, 1750, 1751, 1754, 1760, 1769 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hurste History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hurste Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Hurste family name include Hurst, Hirst, Herst and others.

Early Notables of the Hurste family

Distinguished members of the family include William Hirst (d. 1769?), English astronomer, the eldest son of William Hirst, D.D. (d. 1760), Master of Hertford free school, Vicar of Bengeo, and Rector of Sacomb, Hertfordshire. He was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hurste Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Hurste family to Ireland

Some of the Hurste family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hurste family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Hurste surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Cuthbert Hurst who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 with his wife Mary and five children; George Hurst settled in Barbados with his wife and servants in 1680.



The Hurste 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: Pro Deo et rege
Motto Translation: For God and the king.


  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print


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