Information contained in these pages is intended for genealogical research only, and I ask that you respect the privacy of those mentioned.  Please acknowledge the source of any information used from these pages. 
A list of sources will be included on each page.
Scroll down past the History of the Name for a list of people in this family group.

Origin / History of the Hayward Name

Recorded in the spellings of Hayward, Haward, and Heyward, this is an English surname.  Originating from the pre 7^th Century words ‘hege’ meaning hedge or fence, plus ‘weard’, a watch or guardian.  It was an occupational status surname for a person employed on an estate or settlement, to check and arrange the repair of all the fences and walls, to prevent unauthorised access to the royal hunting parks by poachers, and to deter cattle from breaking through into the arable lands and destroying crops.  The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Godric Heiuuard c1095, in the registers of the abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.  The surname is first recorded in the latter half of the 11^th Century, and examples include: Richard Haiward 1166 in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk; Alicia le Heyward who appears in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire 1273; and Robertus Hayward who was recorded in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire.  It is interesting to note that in mid-17^th Century Records of Norfolk and other records thereafter, the name is synonymous with Howard, for example William Heyward or Howard, Sheriff of Norwich 1657; and Edward Howard or Heyward 1663, donor of three pounds per annum to St. Swithin's Church, Norwich.

Click on the Surname to go to the Family Sheet

Please contact me for further information