indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Meaning & History
This surname is a habitational one, denoting someone who lived in a village in County Durham or in North Yorkshire.With regards to the first one, it is derived from Old English heorot meaning "hart, stag" and tun meaning "enclosure, homestead."
With regards to the second one, the first Old English element is hær with the meaning given by the Dictionary of American Family Names of "rock." However, some dictionaries put the meaning of the element as "hair." As a result, the meaning of the first element is up for question.
With regards to the second one, the first Old English element is hær with the meaning given by the Dictionary of American Family Names of "rock." However, some dictionaries put the meaning of the element as "hair." As a result, the meaning of the first element is up for question.