Contents [hide]

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

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Honey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Honey

What does the name Honey mean?

The surname Honey is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It is derived from the Old English "hunig," meaning "honey," and was used to refer to someone who gathered or sold honey, or to someone who kept bees. Alternatively, Honey was a Middle English term of endearment, meaning "sweetheart" or "darling," and may have evolved from nickname to surname during the Middle Ages. In this case, the name was derived from the Old English word hunig, meaning "honey." 1

Early Origins of the Honey family

The surname Honey was first found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire where Geoffrey Hony was recorded in 1275. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 listed Richard Honey in Cambridgeshire and in Sussex, Robert le Hony was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. 1

"In Sussex this name has been corrupted from the local Holney." 2

Early History of the Honey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Honey research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1279, 1296, 1771, 1776, 1788, 1842, 1855 and 1875 are included under the topic Early Honey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Honey 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 Honey include Honey, Hony, Honea and others.

Early Notables of the Honey family

Notables of the family at this time include

William Edward Hony (1788-1875), a British archdeacon, Charles Robertson Honey (c.1855), a British translator, and Samuel Robertson Honey (b. 1842), an American army captain

Honey Ranking

In the United States, the name Honey is the 9,956^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Honey family to Ireland

Some of the Honey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Honey migration to the United States +

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 Honey or a variant listed above:

Honey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Honey, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 4
John Honey, who arrived in Virginia in 1741 4

Honey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Honey, who landed in New York, NY in 1834 4
Mr. William Honey, (b. 1857), aged 30, Cornish mason departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Baltic" arriving in New York, USA on 13 June 1887 5
Miss E.M. Honey, (b. 1887), aged 6, Cornish settler from St. Stephens, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Arizona" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th July 1893 en route to California, USA 6
Mr. Samuel Honey, (b. 1857), aged 36, Cornish miner from St. Stephens, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Arizona" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th July 1893 en route to California, USA 6
Mrs. E.A. Honey, (b. 1855), aged 38, Cornish settler from St. Stephens, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Arizona" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 10th July 1893 en route to California, USA 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Honey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Thomas J. Honey, (b. 1874), aged 26, Cornish miner from St. Cleer, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 6th January 1900 en route to the United States 6

Honey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Honey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Honey, (b. 1819), aged 36, Cornish baker departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, he died in the sinking 7
Mrs. Mary Honey, (b. 1824), aged 31, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, she died in the sinking 7
Mr. Samuel Honey, (b. 1845), aged 10, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, he died in the sinking 7
Miss Susan Honey, (b. 1847), aged 8, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, she died in the sinking 7
Miss Lucy Honey, (b. 1849), aged 6, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth destined for Quebec, Canada aboard the ship "Barque John" on 3rd May 1855 which sank after striking the reef, she died in the sinking 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Honey migration to Australia +

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

Honey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mary Honey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Charles Kerr" in 1840 8
John Honey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Charles Kerr" in 1840 8
Caroline Honey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Charles Kerr" in 1840 8
Mary Honey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Theresa" in 1847 9
Kezia Honey, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Theresa" in 1847 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Honey 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:

Honey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Honey, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Honey (post 1700) +

Stan Honey (b. 1955), American professional offshore navigator with world sailing records and a businessman who founded Etak and Sportvision
Nancy Honey (b. 1948), UK-based American documentary and portrait photographer
Michael K. Honey (b. 1947), American historian
Lady Clover Honey, American drag queen, comedian and television correspondent, born as Kevin Clover Welsh in New Jersey
Edwin Earle Honey (1891-1956), American plant pathologist and mycologist
Avon R. Honey (1947-2010), American Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Jesse Honey (b. 1977), English urban planner and quiz player, best known for winning Mastermind in 2010
David Honey (b. 1966), English professional darts player
Laura Honey (1816-1843), English actress, said to have been born 6 Dec. 1816, daughter of Mrs. Young, an actress at Sadler's Wells 10
George Honey (1822-1880), English actor and vocalist, born 25 May 1822 who made his first appearance in London at the Princess's Theatre, November 1848 10
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Honey 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: Progredere ne regredere
Motto Translation: Advance, do not recede.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"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 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/wreck_of_emigrant_ship_john_1855.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CHARLES KERR 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840CharlesKerr.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THERESA 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Theresa.htm
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 4 August 2020