The Hersey surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,780 people carried this name — #8,689 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 78,100 people counted. That is up 2% from 3,696 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Hersey surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘de Herci’.

An early record he cites: Richard de Hercy, Norfolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 378 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

68 families named Hersey, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 355 people lived in those households, 5.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 44
Maine 8
New Hampshire 8
Maryland 5
Connecticut 1
New York 1
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 245 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Hersey in American newspapers,
1892–1919.

Newspaper page from Rock Island Daily Argus carrying the name Hersey
Rock Island Daily Argus 1892-04-09
Newspaper page from The Day Book carrying the name Hersey
The Day Book 1916-04-10
Newspaper page from East St. Louis Daily Journal carrying the name Hersey
East St. Louis Daily Journal 1919-08-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 49,828 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Hersey in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

2,229 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Hersey. The most, 892, date from the 1930s. South Australia has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 8.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 1,007
Victoria 629
New South Wales 307
Queensland 98
Western Australia 97
Tasmania 45
Northern Territory 32
ACT (Canberra) 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Hersey.

Who carried it

People named Hersey,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Samuel F. Hersey
    Samuel F. Hersey 1812–1875 · politician
  • Horatio Brooks Hersey
    Horatio Brooks Hersey 1823–1905 · politician
  • Ira Greenlief Hersey
    Ira Greenlief Hersey 1858–1943 · lawyer
  • Mark L. Hersey
    Mark L. Hersey 1863–1934 · military officer
  • Rachel Hersey 1714–1793
  • Laban Hersey 1764–1842

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Hersey,
in the records of 4 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States317 records

317 records of the Hersey name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 131
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 57
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 54
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 32
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 23
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 13
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 5
  • Riverside Cemetery, Asheville (North Carolina) 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Donald F. Hersey

    Born 1915 in Minnesota. Enlisted 1943 at Fort Snelling; payroll clerk from Cooper County, Missouri. Veteran of World War II; died 1960, buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Julia Hersey

    Arrived at Boston in 1847 aboard the Governor Davis from Liverpool, aged 20; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Linwood R. Hersey

    U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Born 1934, died 1998; buried at Eastern Cemetery, Gorham, Maine.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 317 records for Hersey in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Canada271 records

271 records of the Hersey name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 267
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jesse Hersey

    Died 1926 in Marshalltown, Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Adelbert Hersey

    Died in service in 1915.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Estella May Hersey

    Died 1942 in Port Maitland, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 271 records for Hersey in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia22 records

22 records of the Hersey name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 11
  • Tasmanian Names Index 5
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 2
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Anne Hersey

    Born 1844 in Longford, Tasmania. Married 1863 in Longford, Tasmania, aged 18.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thomas Hersey

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Essex, aged 20; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Henry Hersey

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Tottenham, arriving 1818; certificate of freedom 1826.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Hersey in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

United Kingdom4 records

4 records of the Hersey name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Hersey

    Buried in 1848 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 58.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. Hersey

    Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. J. Hersey

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Hersey in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Hersey.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Hersey is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Hersey volume
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