Surname Haggerston - Meaning and Origin

Haggerston: What does the surname Haggerston mean?

The surname Haggerston is a toponymic surname derived from the Old English and Anglo-Saxon words 'hægger', meaning hedge, and 'stun', meaning stone. This suggests the family name was taken from a location where a hedge was marked with a stone. In this case, it is thought to refer to a place-name near Berwick-on-Tweed in Northumberland, England, although some sources suggest it is taken from the village of Haggerston, in East Lothian, Scotland.

Haggerston is a fairly common British surname; in the 1881 census, it was found mainly in Northumberland and Durham. The name is likely to be of medieval origin, as it is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1273. It is believed that the name is the name of a manor in the region, and the family of the same name had lived there since the thirteenth century.

The name Haggerston is shared by several notable British figures, including the poet Sir Thomas Haggerston, Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Edwin Haggerston, and the actress, model, television executive, and businesswoman Clara Haggerston.

The name Haggerston likely still holds the same meaning today as it did when it first originated centuries ago. It is a reminder of many generations of families whose roots are firmly entrenched in the land of Northumberland and East Lothian, and of a people whose story of survival continues to be relayed through their surnames.

Haggerston: Where does the name Haggerston come from?

Today, the surname Haggerston is mainly found in the United Kingdom and other Anglophone countries. According to the Forebears website, the surname is most commonly found in England, particularly in the East Riding of Yorkshire, County Durham, and Northumberland. It is also relatively common in the United States, with a significant number of American citizens of English and Scottish descent bearing the name. The surname is also fairly prevalent in Scotland, Australia, and Canada. As of 2019, the Forebears list indicates that there are around 4,711 people with the surname Haggerston alive today.

The origin of the Haggerston surname is believed to come from a place in England known as Haggerston Castle, which dates back to the 11th Century and is located in the modern-day borough of Hackney in London. The estate was owned by a family who were granted the right to use the title of "Lord of the Manor of Haggerston" by Edward III in 1355. As their influence in the region grew, they adopted the family name Haggerston, and the surname began to spread to other areas of the country.

Although a small number of people with the surname still reside in and around Haggerston, the majority of Haggerstons today are descended from families who had already migrated as far away from the castle as early as the Middle Ages. The prevalence of the surname in the United States is no doubt due in part to the many English immigrants who arrived in the States during periods of strong British immigration in the 19th Century.

Variations of the surname Haggerston

The surname Haggerston originated as an English surname derived from Hagger's town, a habitational name referring to a place in East Lothian in Scotland. Variants and other spellings of the surname include Hagardiston, Haggestone, Hagardston, Hagardstone, Hagardeston, Hagardstoun, Hegiston, Hagiston, Heggieston, Hegeston, Hagardstoune, Harston, Hagarton, and Evenson.

The surname Haggerston is sometimes seen with a double "g" spelling, however this is considered to be a spelling variation and not an additional variant of the surname. In modern times, the surname Haggerston is predominantly found in Scotland, England, and the United States.

Variants of the surname encompass other surnames stemming from a similar origin, including Haggart, Haggard, and Evenson. Haggard comes from 'Hagerd', the Scottish-English dialect word which derived from the Middle English word 'hagger.' In the north of England, the surname "Haggerty" is an alternative form of surname Haggerston. Haggerty is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Eachraidh," meaning son of eachraidh.

Surnames similar to Haggerston, such as Hagar, Haggett, and Kroger, also derive from habitational names. Hagar is also a Jewish surname meaning "stranger," derived from the biblical figure of Abraham's concubine. The surname Haggett derives form a place name in Kent, England while Kroger originates from the Germanic word meaning "innkeeper."

Famous people with the name Haggerston

• Jeremy Haggerstone, the former Chairman of Western Australia’s Mental Health Commission.
• Bill Haggerston, a noted illustrator who has been featured in both The New York Times and The Saturday Evening Post.
• Ken Haggerston, a former professional football player who played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers.
• John Haggerston, an American film director who has directed a variety of television shows, feature films, and documentaries.
• Mary Haggerston, an American editor known for her work on the books of John Steinbeck, including East of Eden and Of Mice and Men.
• Henry Haggerston, a lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Virginia from 1878 to 1880.
• Joseph Haggerston, a British administrator who served as the Governor of the Gambia from 1864 to 1868.
• Alfred Haggerston, a British poet and painter who was one of the leading figures in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood movement.
• John Haggerston, an English artist who was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts.
• Ashley Haggerston, a British music producer known for his work on albums such as The Prodigy’s The Fat of the Land and Underworld’s Second Toughest in the Infants.

Other surnames

HaggersonHaggerstone