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Origins of the Hall surname

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What does the name Hall mean?

Hall is a surname with various supposed origins from throughout England, Scotland and Wales. It was most commonly assumed to have Anglo-Saxon roots, and spreading from there to other nations, but with numerous explanations as to coming into being. Most often the surname Hall is thought to derive from someone who lived or worked at some kind of hall or manor, as a location or occupation based name. Notably, one source of the Hall name is thought to be from Lincoln in 1090, where nobleman Arthur FitzWilliam decided to change his surname to Hall in order to separate his identity from his similarly named older brother. Another particular grouping of Halls were one of the sixty major families of the Marches of Scotland.

Alternative variations of the name Hall

Hall, Halle, Haule, Hal, Haul

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Where do most Halls live?

In 1921, most Halls lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Halls

How common is your surname?

16th most common surname in the UK

We have 923,000 records for the Hall surname. The oldest one dates back to 1066.

Who were Halls most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Johnsons

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Halls.

What are the most common Hall first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Hall family members

Common jobs for Halls

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Halls in 1921
Dressmaker

3,740

Domestic Servant

2,232

Laundress

2,011

Cotton Weaver

1,941

General Servant Domestic

1,859

Common Male occupations for Halls in 1921
Coal Miner

4,688

Agricultural Labourer

3,463

General Labourer

3,201

Farmer

2,786

Farm Labourer

2,100

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We found over 1,000,000 family trees with the Hall surname

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