Hutchason

This uncommon surname is a variant of the more familiar Hutchinson, itself a patronymic of "Hu(t)chin", a diminutive of the Old French male given name "Hu(gh)e", introduced into Britain by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066. The name appears in its Latinized form "Hugo" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and the vernacular forms "Hewe" and "Howe" are recorded in 13th and 14th Century medieval documents. In origin "Hu(gh)e" is a short form of any of the various Germanic compound names with a first element "hug", heart, mind, spirit, for example, "Hubert" ("hug", spirit, and "berht", bright, famous), and "Hubble" having "bald", bold, brave, as a second element. The popularity of the name among the Normans was partly due to the fame of St. Hugh of Cluny (1024 - 1109), and St. Hugh of Burgundy (1140 - 1200). Recordings of the diminutives, having the German suffix "-chen", small, include: Huchun Aleyn (Yorkshire, 1277); John Huchon (Suffolk, 1321); and Edith Huchenes (Staffordshire, 1332). Early recordings of the patronymic all stem from Yorkshire, and include: Willelmus Hugchonson 91379); John Hucheson (Sheffield, 1440); and John Hucynson (York, 1475). On January 25th 1585, Elizabeth Hutchason and John Senior were married at Kirkburton, and on November 27th 1711, Benjamin Hutchason married Ann Hanscomb at St. Benet Fink, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Isota Huchonson, which was dated 1379, in the "Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire", during the reign of King Richard 11, known as "Richard of Bordeaux", 1377 - 1399. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.