Hale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Hale

What does the name Hale mean?

The name Hale is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in a remote valley, or nook. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English halh, which had the same meaning. Conversely the name could have been a nickname for someone who was "healthy, stout, a brave man, chief, or hero" having derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "hale." 1

Early Origins of the Hale family

The surname Hale was first found in Cheshire, but there are other records of this local name throughout England. Parish named Hales were found in Stafford, Norfolk and Worcester. Norfolk's earliest reference was Alexander de Hales, who was listed there in 1245. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists: Richard de la Hale in Oxfordshire; and Walter en le Hale in Sussex at that time. Robert in the Hale was listed in the Close Roll, temp. 2 Edward I and according to Kirby's Quest, John atte Hale was listed in Somerset, temp. 1 Edward III 3 4

Alexander of Hales (d. 1245), the celebrated theologian, and one of the first of the Christian Philosophers of the thirteenth century, was born in Gloucestershire at a town or village called Hales. 5

Thomas Hales (fl. 1250), was an early English poet and religious writer, was a Franciscan friar, and presumably a native of Hales (or Hailes) in Gloucestershire. 5

The name quickly became native to Scotland as seen by Michel de Hale del counte de Edeneberk who rendered homage to King Edward I in his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. 6

Later some of the family were found at Kings Walden in Hertfordshire. "On the north side of the chancel of the church is a chapel, the burial-place of the Hale family, erected by William Hale, who died in 1648." 7

Hailes Castle is a 14th century castle about a mile and a half south west of East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland. It dates back to c. 1300. Hailes Abbey near Winchcombe in Gloucestershire was built in 1245 or 1246 but little remains of the abbey today.

Early History of the Hale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hale research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1325, 1331, 1379, 1381, 1394, 1455, 1456, 1457, 1459, 1470, 1471, 1490, 1516, 1540, 1572, 1576, 1584, 1608, 1609, 1614, 1625, 1626, 1636, 1640, 1645, 1654, 1656, 1660, 1661, 1666, 1676, 1677, 1679, 1681, 1684, 1691, 1692, 1694, 1700, 1729, 1762, 1773, 1793, 1812 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hale Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Hale were recorded, including Hale, Hail, Hailes, Hayles, Hayle, Hales, Haile and many more.

Early Notables of the Hale family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir Frank Hale
Sir Stephen Hales (before 1331-1394), of Testerton, Norfolk, an English soldier and politician
John Hales, the medieval Bishop of Exeter (1455-1456)
John Hales (also Hals or Halse
John Hales (c.1470-1540), of The Dungeon, Canterbury, Kent, an administrator and Baron of the Exchequer
John Hales (c.1516-1572), a writer, administrator and politician
John Hales (died 1608), the owner of the Whitefriars in Coventry at which two of the Marprelate tracts were printed on a secret press
John Hales (1584-1656), an English cleric, theologian and writer, his posthumous works earned him the title of the "Ever-memorable"
Sir Edward Hales, 1st Baronet (1576-1654), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Queenborough in 1625 and (1640-1645) and Kent (1626)
Sir Edward Hales, 2nd Baronet (1626-c.1684), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Maidstone in 1660 and Queenborough (1661-1681)
Sir Thomas Hales, 2nd Baronet (1666-1762), British Member of Parliament
Sir Thomas Hales, 3rd Baronet (c. 1694-1762), British Member of Parliament and courtier
Sir Matthew Hale (1609-1676), Lord Chief Justice of England
John "Reverend Hale" Hale (1636-1700), the pastor of the Church of Christ in Beverly, Massachusetts during the Salem witch hunt in 1692

Hale World Ranking

In the United Kingdom, the name Hale is the 442^nd most popular surname with an estimated 14,626 people with that name. 8 However, in Australia, the name Hale is ranked the 831^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,728 people with that name. 9 And in New Zealand, the name Hale is the 483^rd popular surname with an estimated 1,411 people with that name. 10 The United States ranks Hale as 296^th with 92,019 people. 11

Migration of the Hale family to Ireland

Some of the Hale family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hale migration to Australia +

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

Hale Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Samuel Hale, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. William Hale, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
George Hale, a weaver, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. James Hale, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. William Hale, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st September 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hale 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:

Hale Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Henry Hale, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mrs. Eliza Hale, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bernica" en route to Otago via passenger disembarked at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand in December 1848 16
Miss Eliza Hale, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bernica" en route to Otago via passenger disembarked at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand in December 1848 16
Miss Emily Hale, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bernica" en route to Otago via passenger disembarked at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand in December 1848 16
Mr. William Hale, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bernica" en route to Otago via passenger disembarked at Nelson, South Island, New Zealand in December 1848 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hale migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hale Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

David Hale, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Robert Hale, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Hale migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hale Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Hale, who landed in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "George" 17
Mrs. Joan Hale who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Charlestown. 18
Robert Hale who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 17
Jo Hale, aged 14, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Globe" 17
Barbary Hale, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hale Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Hale, who landed in Virginia in 1714 17
John Hale, who landed in Virginia in 1719 17
Jean Hale, who landed in New York in 1725 17
Egram Hale, aged 24, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1730 17
Sophia Hale, aged 30, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1730 17

Hale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Hale, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 17
Thomas Hale, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 17
Mary Hale, who settled in Portland in 1820
Mr. Hale, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1821 17
Michael Hale, who arrived in Mississippi in 1840 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hale (post 1700) +

Robert Hale (1933-2023), American bass-baritone opera singer, born in Texas
Carol Leon Hale (1921-2021), American journalist and author for the Houston Chronicle from 1984 until his retirement in 2014
Albert A. Hale (d. 2021), American attorney and a Democratic politician, Member of the Arizona House of Representatives (2013-2017)
Mrs. Brenda Ann Norma Hale O.B.E. (b. 1968), born in Bangor, Northern Ireland, British Democratic Unionist Party Politician, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for political service 19
Sunset "Sunny" Hale (1968-2017), American professional polo player, member of the 2000 winning team in the U.S. Open Polo Championship, inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Fame in 2012
Barbara Hale (1922-2017), American Emmy Award winning actress, best known for her role as legal secretary Della Street on more than 270 episodes of the Perry Mason television series
Anthony "Tony" Hale (b. 1970), American Primetime Emmy Award winning actor, best known for his role in the Fox comedy series Arrested Development
Matthew Blagden Hale (1811-1895), English-born, first Bishop of Perth, and later Bishop of Brisbane
Lieutenant-General Willis Henry Hale (1893-1961), American Commanding General of the Continental Air Command, Mitchel AFB, New York (1950-1952) 20
Una Hale (1922-2005), Australian operatic soprano
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Hale family +

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Frances R. Hale (1878-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 21

HMS Cornwall

Henry Francis Ormsby Hale, British Lieutenant Commander aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 22

HMS Dorsetshire

William Glyndwr Hale (d. 1945), British Stoker 1st Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 23

RMS Lusitania

Miss Sarah Rachel Sadie Hale, (née Orr ), Irish Typist from Belfast, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 24

RMS Titanic

Mr. Reginald Hale (d. 1912), aged 30, American Second Class passenger from Auburn, New York who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 25

USS Indianapolis

Robert Baldwin Hale, 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 26
William Franklin Hale, 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 26

The Hale 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: Cum principibus
Motto Translation: Whith my chiefs

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. 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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"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
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 26th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 22) Willis Hale. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Hale/Willis_Henry/USA.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew