HEMPHILL
The surname Hemphill is principally of Scottish origin, with evidence of earlier usage in the English countryside. In the earliest recorded instance, in 1214, a Walter de Hemelpreghe is mentioned in the archives of Scotland. The name is thought to derive from the Old English words hemp, meaning hemp, and hill, signifying a hill on which hemp was grown. This locational interpretation places the original bearers near a hill where the crop was cultivated, a practice common in medieval agrarian communities.
Other early attestations of the name appear in a variety of spellings, including Hemphall, Hempsall, Hempill, Hempell and Hempel. The spelling variations reflect the limited standardisation of English spelling before the 18th century and the migration of families between England and Scotland. In the East Midlands of England, a place known as ‘Hempshall’ in Nottinghamshire and a now‑lost settlement called Hemp Hill have been cited as possible sources for the surname. In these contexts the name would simply denote a place where hemp was grown.
Underlying traditions also point to a Germanic element in the name, with the variant Hempel appearing in German records as early as 1459. A Daniel Hemppel is recorded in the charters of the province of Biberach as a farmer, and the name is also found among witnesses in 17th‑ and 18th‑century England. In Germany the patronymic derivation from the given name Haginbert has occasionally been suggested, a name meaning ‘bright forest’ or a similar concept; however, this interpretation should be treated cautiously given the distance in time and culture.
In Scotland it is first linked to the barony of Hempriggs in Caithness. The components hemel, meaning a border or hem, and prige, conveying a hill or elevated land, were merged to form Hemelprige, from which the later surname evolved. The original family was held in respect and was connected with the broader system of clan gatherings in the Scottish Highlands, albeit the name eventually entered English records through the borderlands of Cumberland.
Since the early 18th century, members of the Hemphill family have emigrated to North America, Australia and other parts of the world. Alexander Hemphill, for example, arrived in the colonies in 1750 and established a lineage that spread throughout the United States, particularly in the south‑eastern states. Today the surname is most common in the United States, especially in Alabama and Georgia, but it also retains a presence in Northern Ireland, Canada and Australia, reflecting the widespread migration of Scots‑Irish settlers in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Variant spellings such as Hamphill, Hamful, Hemfel and Hemphill arise from the repeated use of the root elements *hamp* or *hem* in the language of the region, signalling land or personal names. These variants are still found in the areas from which the original surname originated, attesting to the enduring legacy of the name within Scottish culture and its diaspora.
Typical given names associated with the Hemphill surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Robert
- Stephen
- Steven
- William
Female
- Alison
- Anna
- Anne
- Clare
- Elizabeth
- Jennifer
- Julia
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Maureen
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Hemphill in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 631 people named Hemphill in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around ten in a million people in Britain are named Hemphill.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Hemphill
- Greg Hemphill - Actor and comedian
- Peter Patrick Fitzroy Martyn Hemphill, 5th Baron Hemphill - Politician (1928 to 2012)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.