Hayes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hayes is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hayes family lived in Herefordshire. This name, however, does not refer to that municipality, but is topographical in nature and indicates that the original bearer lived near an enclosure of some sort. It derives from the Old English word haye, which means enclosure. [1] Another source claims the name was for a “dweller at the hedge or hedged enclosure; keeper of the hedges or fences; one who came from Hayes (enclosure.)” [2]

Early Origins of the Hayes family

The surname Hayes was first found in Herefordshire where Bartholomew de la Hase held a fief in 1165. He claimed descent from Hayes near Blois, Normandy. [3]

Early rolls had a mixture of entries in the singular and the now more popular plural form: Richard de Hay in the Pipe Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1170; Robert de la Haie, a Knight Templar for Hertfordshire in 1185; Roger del Hayes in the Hundredorum Rolls for Norfolkin 1275; Henry del Haye and Stephen in the Haye in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275; and Thomas atte Heye in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. [4]

From this early origin, the name was listed in a few locations, specifically, Norfolk, where some of the first records of the name were Edorard de lis Heys and John del Heys who were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls listed Nichola de la Hay in Lincolnshire. [5] William de Hayes was listed in Northamptonshire in the 13th century as a follower of John Giffard (1232-1299), the English nobleman, but had his house plundered after the Battle of Evesham in 1265. [5]

Early History of the Hayes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hayes research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1637, 1694, 1663, 1672, 1641, 1712, 1686, 1703, 1768, 1831 and 1182 are included under the topic Early Hayes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hayes Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Hayes are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Hayes include Hayes, Hayse, Hays and others.

Early Notables of the Hayes family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Hayes of London; Sir James Hayes (1637-1694), founding Fellow of the Royal Society in 1663, Secretary to Prince Rupert and first Deputy-Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company in… 
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hayes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hayes World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hayes is the 100^th most popular surname with an estimated 206,421 people with that name. [6] However, in Canada, the name Hayes is ranked the 366^thmost popular surname with an estimated 12,556 people with that name. [7] And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Hayes is the 269^th popular surname with an estimated 164 people with that name. [8] Australia ranks Hayes as 107^th with 24,748 people. [9] New Zealand ranks Hayes as 190^th with 2,944 people. [10] The United Kingdom ranks Hayes as 164^th with 33,149 people. [11]

 Migration of the Hayes family to Ireland

Some of the Hayes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 154 words (11 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

 Hayes migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Hayes, or a variant listed above.