Hanty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Hanty

The name Hanty comes from a name for a person who is good with their hands, in other words, a handyman as the name was originally derived from the Old English hondi, which meant "skilled with his hands." A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.

Early Origins of the Hanty family

Early History of the Hanty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hanty research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hanty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hanty Spelling Variations

Until 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 Hanty include Handy, Handie, Handey, Handye and others.

Early Notables of the Hanty family

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

Migration of the Hanty family

Searching 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 Hanty or a variant listed above: Samuel Handy who settled in Virginia in 1635; Hester Handy settled in Virginia in 1663; John Handy settled in Barbados in 1680 with his servants; John and Mary Handy with their one child settled in Barstable Massachusetts in 1822.