Show ContentsHuyige History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Welsh name Huyige go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Huyige once lived in one of the various places named Huish in the English counties of Devon, Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire. The surname Huyige belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Huyige family

The surname Huyige was first found in Somerset, Devon and Wiltshire where the name is derived from the Middle English "Hiwys." 1

Huish is a parish, in the union of Torrington, hundred of Shebbear, Black Torrington and Shebbear, in Devon and North Huish and South Huish are parishes in the union of Totnes, hundred of Stanborough and Coleridge in the same county. 2

"The estate of Trenans Austell, or Trenance Austell, [Cornwall] was formerly dignified with the name of manor; and no doubt it was particularly honoured with this appellation, when it gave in part that name by which the town was originally designated. In the reign of Edward III it belonged to the family of Hiwis of Devonshire, by whose co-heiress it was conveyed by marriage to the Coleshills." 3

Again in Cornwall, "the manor of St. Ewe, so early as the beginning of the fourteenth century, was in the family of Hiwis, from whom it passed with Tremoderet and other estates to the co-heiress of Arundell." 3

"The manor of Canalissey or Cannaligee, [in the parish of St. Issey, Cornwall] was in all probability the property of the Hiwis family so early as the reign of Edward III; since at that period they held a large estate in this parish." 3

"Sidbury [in Sidmouth, Devon] like many other villages and hamlets of the district, is a seat of the lace-manufacture. At Sand is the old Elizabethan mansion of the Huyshe family; and in the church, originally Norman, but rebuilt, is an inscription recording the death of one Henry Parson, * in the second-first climacteric year of his age;' and what that might have been in Arabic figures, no one has been able to decide. " 4

Early History of the Huyige family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Huyige research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1483, 1594, 1595, 1609, 1613 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Huyige History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Huyige Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. As a result, people could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Huyige name over the years has been spelled Huish, Huysh, Hewish, Hywis, Huyse, Huyish and many more.

Early Notables of the Huyige family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Alexander Huish (1594?-1668), English biblical scholar, the son of John Hewish or Huish, and born in the parish of St. Cuthbert, Wells, Somersetshire, in...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Huyige Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Huyige family

The Welsh began to emigrate to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s in search of land, work, and freedom. Those that arrived helped shape the industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. The records regarding immigration and passenger show a number of people bearing the name Huyige: Joseph Huish who settled in Nevis in 1654.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  4. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital


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