Hammersley

Origin and Meaning

Hammersley is an English surname of Anglo-Saxon origin derived from the Old English personal name "Ham(m)er", which means "rock" or "stony place", combined with the element "leah", meaning "wood" or "clearing". Therefore, the name Hammersley is believed to have originally designated someone who lived near a rocky clearing or a stony place. The surname Hammersley has several variations, including Hamersly, Hammansley, and Hamersley.

Distribution

The surname Hammersley is most commonly found in the English counties of Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Over time, bearers of the surname Hammersley have spread beyond these regions to other parts of the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Notable Bearers

Some of the notable bearers of the surname Hammersley include:

  • Hugh Hammersley: A prominent British diplomat who served as the British Consul-General in Jerusalem in the late 19th century.
  • Paul Hammersley: A renowned British advertising executive known for his work in the field of marketing and branding.
  • Fanny Hammersley: An English Victorian-era actress famous for her performances on the London stage during the 19th century.

Coat of Arms

The Hammersley family crest typically features elements such as a shield with a distinctive design, often including symbols or motifs that represent the family's heritage or history. However, specific variations of the Hammersley coat of arms may exist depending on individual family branches.

There are approximately 1,845 people named Hammersley in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,493rd most common surname in Britain. Around 28 in a million people in Britain are named Hammersley.

Surname type: Location or geographical feature

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Typical given names associated with the surname

Male

  • Christopher
  • David
  • George
  • Ian
  • James
  • John
  • Mark
  • Michael
  • Paul
  • Peter
  • Robert

Female

  • Ann
  • Carol
  • Elizabeth
  • Emma
  • Helen
  • Janet
  • Joan
  • Joanne
  • Lisa
  • Louise
  • Margaret
  • Maureen
  • Rebecca
  • Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

BritishSurnames.uk is a Good Stuff website.