Surname Heyworth - Meaning and Origin

Heyworth: What does the surname Heyworth mean?

The surname "Heyworth" is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is mostly found in northern England. It's a locational name, meaning that it refers to the geographic location where a person lived or where they first took on the surname. The name "Heyworth" derives from Old English words — "heah", meaning "high", and "worth", meaning "enclosure" or "homestead". Therefore, it can be interpreted as "high enclosed farm" or "dwelling on a hill". Over time, the original spelling could have been altered due to various factors like phonetic changes or translation errors, leading to multiple variants of the name such as Haworth, Hayworth, Harewood, and others. Like many surnames, Heyworth would have initially served to identify individuals based on their residence, thus a person originally named Heyworth would have likely lived on or near a high position of land or an elevated estate.

Heyworth: Where does the name Heyworth come from?

The surname Heyworth is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derived from a place name. Much like other surnames that have a geographical background, the name "Heyworth" can be traced back to a physical location, specifically to the village of Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

The name can be broken into two parts where 'Hey' comes from the Old English 'haeg', which means 'hedge' and 'worth' from 'weorth', meaning 'enclosure' or 'homestead'. So, Heyworth can be translated into the homestead with the hedge.

Despite its British origin, the name isn’t commonly found or associated specifically with a region in the United Kingdom today. It is distributed throughout English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, but it remains relatively rare, and is statistically most common in the United States, according to data from the Forebears surname database. Notable people with this surname include actress Rita Hayworth, shifting the spelling slightly, and Bolton Wanderers footballer David Lee-Heyworth.

Variations of the surname Heyworth

The surname Heyworth has English origins and there are several other spellings and variants associated with it. The most typical variant ways to spell it include Hayworth, Hareworth, and Heward. Some less common spellings may include Hayword, Haywerth, Haieworth, and Hauworth. A widespread practice in old records was to adjust the spelling of the name based on its phonetics, hence many variants are in existence.

The surname also seemed to have been used as a basis for other surnames as people moved to new areas or wanted to differentiate their family line. These surnames include Haworth, Haygart, and Haywain.

The surname Heyworth derives from a place name, like many English surnames from the medieval period. It comes from “Hey” (which means an enclosed area in Old English) and “Worth” (which means an enclosed settlement). So, the full name suggests an inferred geographical location likely referring to a village or farmland: "An enclosed settlement by a hedged field or clearing". Consequently, the surname Heyworth might also be interconnected with other surnames derived from names of places having similar meanings or sounds, e.g., "Heywood" and "Heyward".

Famous people with the name Heyworth

• Hugh Heyworth: British diplomat, writer, and television presenter
• Byran Heyworth: Labour Party politician
• Matthew Heyworth (1757–1834): English classical scholar
• Jean Heyworth (died 1677): English organist and composer of the 17th century
• Arthur Heyworth (1864–1943): English cricketer
• Edward Heyworth (1713–1790): English merchant and politician
• Lord George Heyworth (1724–1804): British navy admiral
• Sidney Heyworth (1928–2014): English civil engineer
• Lavinia Heyworth (1837–1915): English author
• Henry Heyworth (1820–1895): English barrister, Member of Parliament, and judge

Other surnames

Heyword