Surname Hemsil - Meaning and Origin

Hemsil: What does the surname Hemsil mean?

The last name Hemsil is generally believed to be of English origin. It is thought to come from the given name Humdilde, and was likely an occupational name for someone who was a “helmicer”; a person who performs the work of a hemmer – a mechanical process of folding cloth edges that was common in the textile mills of late medieval England.

The name has been found in written records since the 1500s, with a few early examples being William Hemsil (1581-1584) in the parish registers of Lanchester in County Durham, and John Hemsil (1585-1590) in the parish registers of Wakefield in Yorkshire.

In modern times, the name is still predominantly found in England, in the same places it has been found for centuries -- mainly in the counties of Yorkshire, Durham, Cheshire and Lancashire. It is also found in Scotland, Ireland, and other countries as well.

The name Hemsil likely remained somewhat unchanged over the years, providing a unique glimpse into the past of its early bearers. It is quite likely that the very first people to hold this name were proud of what they did and saw it as a source of identity and self-worth.

Hemsil: Where does the name Hemsil come from?

The last name Hemsil is most common in Eastern Europe. It is found in Slovakia, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and Poland. The name can also be found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and even the United Kingdom. Some Hemsil families have also settled in Scandinavia, particularly Iceland.

Hemsil is a Slavic or East Baltic name, which means that it is language and culture-specific. It is likely of Lithuanian or Belarusian origin, though some believe it to be of Czech-Polish origins. The name is thought to be a patronymic, derived from a type of person. It is also possible that the name is derived from the Lithuanian word for "whale," though this is less likely.

In America, the last name Hemsil is most common in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Canada follows a similar pattern, with the highest numbers of Hemsils reported in Ontario and Alberta. In the United Kingdom, the last name is found most often in London, though there are also large numbers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Leeds.

Overall, it appears that the last name Hemsil is most heavily concentrated in Eastern Europe, though it is found in a number of other countries, including countries across the Americas and the United Kingdom. The true origin of the name, however, still remains a mystery.

Variations of the surname Hemsil

The variants and spellings of the surname Hemsil are Hemsall, Hemsell, Hemsle, Hemzell, Hemsall, Hemsoll, Hemzil, Hezbollah, Hemselll, Hemsail, Hemslel, Heimsal, and Hemsley.

The surname Hemsil has many variations due to its multiple origins. As a Jewish surname, it is believed to have been derived from the Hebrew surname Heimsohn, which was a variant of the name Heim (meaning ‘home’). The English surname Hemsell is thought to originate from whom who lived in the town of Hemel Hempstead, hence the spelling of the surname.

It is also believed that the surnames Hemsill, Hemzell, Hemsall, and Hemsoll all originate from the Old English phrase ‘heim skell’, which means ‘safe and sound’. This phrase became a popular phrase used to express safety and was later adopted as a surname.

The Irish spelling of Hezbollah originated from the Gaelic word for thought, ‘ulsi’. It is said that those with this surname were thought to be wise or clever.

The Germanic surname Hemsley could be related to the term ‘hess-slaus’, which means hardy and eager for battle, or the Germanic personal name Hesse. Thus, those with the surname Hemsley could have been warriors or soldiers.

The French surname Heimsal could be derived from the French word ‘honneur’, meaning honour and respect, while the spelling Hemslel could be a variant of the Germanic personal name ‘Hemileh’, which means ‘home-dweller’.

Overall, the surname Hemsil has multiple origins and many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.

Famous people with the name Hemsil

• Will Hemsley: American Actor and Producer.
• Bob Hemsley: English Poet and Writer of Children’s Books.
• Alexander Hemsil: Swedish Actor, Director and Screenwriter.
• Les Hemsil: English Actor and Musician.
• Peter Hemsil: Swiss-born Musician and Author.
• Wendy Hemsil: Canadian Filmmaker and Animation Artist.
• Thomas Hemsil: Swedish Sculptor and Painter.
• Lillian Hemsil: American Actress.
• Karen Hemsil: Australian Actor and Singer.
• Bill Hemsil: American Singer and Composer.

Other surnames

Hemsill