Hall Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Hall Family History

Hall Family History

The ancient origin of the name Hall was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Hall is a locational name meaning 'dweller at the hall' or 'dweller at the manor house'. This name is usually of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout these countries. Examples of such are a Roger de la Halle, of Cambridge, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273. A Thomas dictus del Halle is recorded as having witnessed a resignation of his land at Grenryg, Scotland, by Adam de Dowane, in the Barony of Lesmahagon in the year 1311.

In Ireland this name and its variants were introduced into Ulster Province by settlers who arrived from England and Scotland, especially during the seventeenth century. During the 'Plantations of Ireland' in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Ireland was colonized by the English Crown with this period marking the end of Gaelic supremacy in Ireland. This period brought an influx of settlers into the country but, unlike the earlier Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century that resulted in a full integration into Irish society of the new arrivals, the same never occurred with the Ulster Planters who maintained their own distinct identity.

The name has also been associated with Munster Province since the fourteenth century.The Hall 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 Hall descendants.