Hurst Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Hurst last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Hurst last name
Meaning of the Hurst last name: wooded hill. Hurst is an English surname for someone who lived on or near a wooded hill, from Old English hyrst, or who came from one of the many places called Hurst. The word appears in place-names such as Lyndhurst and Sandhurst. The last name is most frequent in Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands. A curious detail: Hirst is the same surname in a northern spelling.
Arms associated with the Hurst name
Animals on English shields stood for the qualities admired in them, such as the lion for courage, and that heraldic language shapes coats of arms associated with the Hurst surname.
Get your full Hurst family history
This is only a glimpse of the Hurst story. The full Hurst history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Hurst coat of arms. Get the full Hurst report.
Hurst name FAQ
What does the Hurst name mean?
Wooded hill. Common variants include Hirst, Hyrst, Hurste.
Where does the Hurst surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Hurst coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Hurst coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).