Hackett Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Hackett Family History

Hackett Family History

The family history of the ancient name Hackett was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Hackett include Haggit and Haggett. The surname Hackett is of Norman origin, Haket being a common Norman personal name. The Hacketts came to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion at the end of the twelfth century. The Fiants of Henry VIII and Edward VI indicate that in the sixteenth century the placename Hacketstowns, alias Ballyhackett, existed in Counties Dublin and Kildare. A branch of this family moved into Connacht where they in due course became hibernicized and, like other Norman families in that Province, formed a distinct if small Sept which was known as McHackett, their seat being Castle Hackett, six miles south-east of Tuam. There is little trace of the name Hackett in Connacht today, but it is still strong, however, in and around Counties Tipperary and Kilkenny. The first record of this Norman name in England was in the person of a Mabil Haket, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', in the year 1273.The Hackett family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Hackett descendants.