Hurst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Hurst

What does the name Hurst mean?

The ancestors of the Hurst surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived close to a wooded region or thicket. Hurst 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 Hurst family

The surname Hurst 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 Hurst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hurst 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 Hurst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hurst Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hurst include Hurst, Hirst, Herst and others.

Early Notables of the Hurst family

Distinguished members of the family include

Henry Hurst (1629-1690), was a nonconformist divine, born at Mickleton, Gloucestershire, 31 March 1629, was son of Henry Hurst, vicar of Mickleton. 4

Hurst World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hurst is the 660^th most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 5 However, in France, the name Hurst is ranked the 9,360^th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 6 And in Australia, the name Hurst is the 762^nd popular surname with an estimated 5,113 people with that name. 7 New Zealand ranks Hurst as 682^nd with 1,043 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Hurst as 452^nd with 14,405 people. 9

Migration of the Hurst family to Ireland

Some of the Hurst 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.

Hurst migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Hurst Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tobias Hurst, aged 22, who arrived in Virginia in 1618 aboard the ship "Treasurer" 10
Gilbert Hurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1649 10
James Hurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 10
Elizabeth Hurst, who arrived in Maryland in 1660 10
Richard Hurst, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hurst Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Hurst, who landed in New England in 1720 10
Jonathan Hurst, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 10

Hurst Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Akid Hurst, who landed in New York in 1835 10
Jones C Hurst, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 10
William Hurst, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 10
Edmond Hurst, who landed in New York in 1852 10
Anne, Henry, James, John, Joseph, Mary, Robert, Thomas, and William Hurst all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hurst migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hurst Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Joseph Hurst, aged 20, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Leslie Gault" in 1833
Julia L Hurst, who landed in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862

Hurst migration to Australia +

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

Hurst Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Hurst, English convict from Suffolk, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 11
Joseph Hurst, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. John Hurst, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. John Hurst, British Convict who was convicted in Northhampton, Northamptonshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
William Hurst, English convict from Cambridge, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on July 29th, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hurst 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:

Hurst Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Hurst, aged 42, a gardener, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Mary Ann Hurst, aged 35, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Amelia Hurst, aged 13, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Alfred William Hurst, aged 12, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
Alexander Hurst, aged 9, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hurst migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15

Hurst Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

George Hurst, who settled in Barbados with his wife and servants in 1680

Contemporary Notables of the name Hurst (post 1700) +

Jimmy O'Neal Hurst (1972-2024), American professional baseball right fielder who played for one season in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers
Ed Hurst (1926-2020), American radio and television personality, the "Stone-age Dick Clark"
John Fletcher Hurst (1834-1903), American bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church
Bruce Vee Hurst (b. 1958), American former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher
William Hansel Hurst (b. 1970), retired Major League Baseball player
Ryan Douglas Hurst (b. 1976), American actor
Pat Hurst (b. 1969), American LPGA professional golfer
Tim Hurst (1865-1915), American baseball player and umpire
Fannie Hurst (1889-1968), American author
Charles R. Hurst, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Illinois Democratic State Committee, 1838-39 16
... (Another 59 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hurst family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Henry Hurst (b. 1895), Irish Commander Surgeon serving for the Royal Navy from Bantry, County Cork, Ireland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17
Mr. Christopher W Hurst (b. 1917), English Coder serving for the Royal Navy from Catford, London, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17

HMS Royal Oak

Frank Hurst (1914-1939), British Electrical Artificer 4th Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 18

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie)

Roger Elwood Hurst (1950-1988), American Marketing Manager from Ringwood, New Jersey, America, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 19

RMS Titanic

Mr. Charles John Hurst (d. 1912), aged 35, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 20
Mr. Walter Hurst, aged 23, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on collapsible B 20

St. Francis Dam

Mr. Doyle M. Hurst, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mr. Albert Hurst, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

USS Arizona

Mr. Milton T. Hurst, American Aviation Machinist's Mate Third Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 21

USS Indianapolis

Robert Huntley Hurst, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 22

The Hurst 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.

Sources +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 151 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1823
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Pan Am Flight 103's victims: A list of those killed 25 years ago | syracuse.com. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/pan_am_flight_103s_victims_a_list_of_those_killed_25_years_ago.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew