Contents [hide]

Hassett History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Sources

Hassett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Etymology of Hassett

What does the name Hassett mean?

The ancestors of the Hassett family may have been Viking settlers. Their surname comes from a place name of Norse origins, from when they lived in Cumberland, on the Borderlands between Scotland and England. As the name is made up of the elements blen, which means hill and hey which means shelter, the name was often broken up. In other words, entries were sometimes for the entire name say, Blenarhassett and other times just Hassett.

Early Origins of the Hassett family

The surname Hassett was first found in Cumberland, where their early family seats were at Blenerhasset and Flimby Hall. One of the earliest records of the name appeared on a census taken in that county during the reign of King Richard II (1367-c.1400) where Thomas Blennerhasset was found in Carlisle. Of interest is a note in the Feet of Fines that Thomas Bleverhasset was appointed rector of Hardingham, county Norfolk at the age of 11, by the Pope's dispensation. 1

Early History of the Hassett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hassett research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1550, 1598, 1610, 1625, 1652, 1687, 1692, 1695, 1703, 1712, 1727, 1741, 1758, 1809 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Hassett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hassett Spelling Variations

Standards against which to judge the accuracy of spellings and translations did not yet exist in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations in names dating from that era, are thus, an extremely common occurrence. Hassett has been recorded as Blennerhasset, Blennerhassett, Blenerhasset, Blenner, Hassett, Hassetts and many more.

Early Notables of the Hassett family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Thomas Blenerhasset (1550?-1625?), an English poet and writer on Ireland, a younger son of William Blenerhasset of Horsford Park, near Norwich, who died in 1598. "He was probably born about 1550, and was, according to his own account, educated at Cambridge without taking a degree. He subsequently entered the army, and was stationed for some years as captain at Guernsey Castle. At the beginning of...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hassett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hassett Ranking

In the United States, the name Hassett is the 9,562^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Hassett family to Ireland

Some of the Hassett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hassett migration to the United States +

The New World was far from the oppressive regime of the old country. It was a place where there was more land than people and political and religious freedom were far easier to come by. Many Scots even got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. In recent years, interest in this heritage has been generated by Clan societies and regular highland games in North America. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Hassett name:

Hassett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Hassett, who arrived in Virginia in 1669 3

Hassett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Hassett, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1877 3
Mr. James H. Hassett, (b. 1875), aged 23, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Paris" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 30th April 1898 en route to Ironwood, Michigan, USA 4

Hassett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hassett Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Michael Hassett, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland

Hassett migration to Australia +

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

Hassett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Denis Hassett, (Dennis, Hassit, Hassell, Hassat), (b. 1797), aged 26, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for vagrancy, transported aboard the "Castle Forbes" on 28th September 1823, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1873 5
Mary Hassett, aged 22, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Amazon" 6
John Hassett, aged 18, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Confiance" 7
Michael Hassett, aged 20, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Confiance" 7
Ally Hassett, aged 30, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Confiance" 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hassett 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:

Hassett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Hassett, aged 22, a housemaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edward P Bouverie" in 1873 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Hassett (post 1700) +

Marilyn Hassett (b. 1947), American screen and television actress
Kevin Hassett, American economist, senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute
Joseph Hassett (b. 1955), American NBA basketball player
Buddy Hassett, American Major League Baseball player
William Joseph "Billy" Hassett (1921-1992), American NBA basketball player
W. J. Hassett, American politician, Mayor of Sacramento, California, 1904-05 9
Thomas B. Hassett, American politician, U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for Massachusetts, 1941 9
Sylvia Hassett, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1988 9
J. C. Hassett, American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Philadelphia County, 1883-90 9
Charles E. Hassett, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Henry County, 1937-38 9
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Hassett 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: Fortes fortuna juvat
Motto Translation: Fortune favours the Bold.

Sources +

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/
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
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 2nd January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/castle-forbes
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) AMAZON 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/amazon1852.shtml
South Australian Register Wednesday 13th September 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Confiance 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/confiance1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, April 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html