Hall (surname)


Hall is a surname of Anglo-Celtic origin.

History

England

The first bearers of the surname Hall came to England in the great wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The surname Hall was first found in Lincolnshire, England, where the family was granted lands after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Hall family is directly descended from Earl Fitzwilliam, who held a family seat at Greatford Hall in Lincolnshire, after the Norman Conquest. The younger son of this noble house, Arthur FitzWilliam, came to be known as "Hall" so as to distinguish him from his senior brother. Hence, Arthur Hall was the first known bearer of the name, appearing on record about the year 1090.
Many of the Norman noblemen who came to England with William the Conqueror soon grew dissatisfied with William's rule; as such, members of the Hall family accepted land grants from King Malcolm III of Scotland, and became prominent in that country.

Scotland

In Scotland, the name in Latin was de Aula and accordingly, the first record here was "Waldeu de Aula who witnessed a charter by Walter de Veteri Ponte a. 1200."
Over one hundred years later the English version of the name was in use as "John of the Hall was one of an inquest made at Berwick, 1302 and c. 1311 Thomas dictus del Halle witnessed resignation by Adam de Dowane of his land of Grenryg in the barony of Lesmahagow."
The first Hall of Fulbar in Renfrewshire was Thomas de Aula, surgeon, who for his faithful service obtained from Robert II a grant of land in the tenement of Staneley, barony of Renffrow, 1370."

Clan Hall

In northern England and southern Scotland, the Halls became one of sixty major riding families of the area known as the English and Scottish Marches, including the Debatable Lands. They were involved in cross-border raids to steal cattle and other property, known as reiving, as many other border clans were. As with the majority of reiving families, they would consider themselves loyal to neither the crowns of England nor Scotland, the family name holding allegiance over all else.
The traditional Scottish homes of Clan Hall were at Redesdale, East Teviotdale, and Liddesdale. Other Halls lived in Aynstrother; Glenryg, in the barony of Lesmahagow; Garvald; Irvide; Glasgow; Sancharmvr, in Preswick; and Perth. There were also large numbers of Clan Hall over the border in England, in what is modern-day Northumberland, where the Hall name remains common.
As recounted in the song "The Death of Parcy Reed", members of Clan Hall betrayed and stand idly by as the Laird of Troughend, Parcy Reed, was murdered by the Crosier Clan. This betrayal added to their reputation as one of the most notorious border clans.
Mad Jack Hall was a well-known member of the Clan.

The Hall name today

Today, the name is found throughout the world as a consequence of large scale emigration from England and Scotland from the 16th century onwards. The name is especially common in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Today, with about 181,000 namesakes Hall is the 17th most popular surname in England and Wales. Around the world Halls are most common in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. The United States has more Halls than the entire population of Bristol-an estimated total of just over 494,000 makes this their 24th most popular surname.

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