Surname Hewlett - Meaning and Origin
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Hewlett: What does the surname Hewlett mean?
The last name Hewlett is of English origin, and has various meanings depending on which historical source you look to. In some cases, Hewlett is thought to mean "the high meadow," derived from an Old English word 'hoo' meaning high or hill, and 'lēa', meaning a meadow. Other sources suggest the name could have originally come from 'hiwel' – meaning a hill spur. The first written record of the name appears in Norfolk in the year 1198, yet it is thought to have been in use much earlier than that.
In Medieval England, the Hewlett surname came to represent a family who had some affinity with a person who owned a leasehold estate. As time passed, some of the more affluent families moved and were associated with the petit nobility that tended to emerge, allowing them to accumulate and pass down more wealth through the generations. It is likely that the meaning of the name Hewlett in contemporary times now primarily represents a descendant of the original families who took the name, with the familial connection instead of a geographical place name.
The Domesday Book of 1086 also records the surname Hewelt, showing evidence for its relatively ancient origins. In modern times, the name Hewlett can be found all across the United Kingdom; its presence stretching to other countries including the United States of America.
Order DNA origin analysisHewlett: Where does the name Hewlett come from?
The surname Hewlett is derived from the Old English personal name Hugheleah, a combination of two words: hug, which means "heart," soul," or "mind," and leah, which means a "clearing" or "meadow." It is most common today in the United States, especially in the region of New England. Other countries where Hewlett is found include Canada, Australia, England, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
According to a 2019 U.S. Census Bureau survey, the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania had the highest concentration of households with the last name Hewlett. Other states seeing a rise in the number of families bearing this surname are New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, and Delaware.
Hewlett is also commonly found in Australia, with the highest concentration of the surname in the state of New South Wales. There is a borough in the city of Sydney that goes by the name, as well as several other suburbs throughout the country.
In the United Kingdom, the last name Hewlett is most frequently found in the south of England, particularly in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, and Dorset. In Wales, it is notably common in the counties of Monmouthshire and Glamorgan.
As with most surnames, Hewlett has also earned its share of variations throughout the years, including: Heulton, Hewlet, Heywood, Heawood, Heyworth, Hewort, Hewot, and Hevvel.
Variations of the surname Hewlett
The surname Hewlett is an Anglo-Saxon name, derived from the Old English words ‘heah’ and ‘wielle,’ meaning ‘high well.’ Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Hewlet, Hewlett, Howlett, Holet, Huellet, Hewel, Hulett, and Hewells.
There is also a Flemish variant, ‘Heuellabrendt’ or ‘Heuelland,’ which was likely brought to Britain by Dutch and Belgian Huguenots in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The surname Hewlett is most common in Great Britain, especially in the London area. It is also found in the United States, Australia, Ireland, and Scotland. The spelling variations ‘Howlett’ and ‘Hulet’ are most common in Ireland and Scotland.
In England, the ‘Hewlett’ variant is most common, while the ‘Huellabrendt’ and ‘Huelland’ spellings are prevalent in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Other variants include Hulet, Hewelt, Hewel, and Hulett, and these mostly appear in the records of early American colonists. The name is commonly found in the records of Puritan families, with earliest records dating back to 1620 in Massachusetts.
Generally, all of the variants of 'Hewlett' are used interchangeably, as they all refer back to the same Anglo-Saxon origin. Many branches of the same family are often known by different spellings or surnames due to the many variations, but they all share the same origin.
Famous people with the name Hewlett
- David Hewlett: Canadian actor, known for his role as Dr. Rodney McKay on the TV series Stargate Atlantis
- Bill Hewlett: American engineer and co-founder of Hewlett-Packard
- James Hewlett: British actor and playwright
- Louise Hewlett: English baroque viola da gamba virtuoso and pedagogue
- Chip Hewlett: American actor and improviser best known for his appearances on the YouTube web series Video Game High School
- Brian Hewlett: British actor, known for The Crimson Field and Silent Witness
- David Hewlett Parsons: Canadian actor, director and producer
- Thomas Hewlett: English violinist and teacher
- Emily Hewlett: American musician, singer and songwriter
- Margaret Hewlett: New Zealand artist, writer and poet