Hingerty- How do you spell that?

 Hingerty- How do you spell that?

If you are a Hingerty name bearer, the question of how to spell your name would be very familiar to you. Having a rare surname has its perks, but one of the drawbacks is that no one knows how to spell, and often, how to pronounce your name.

This issue has been around for Hingerty name bearers for quite a while and has resulted in a wide variety of spellings listed on official records and indexes that adds a level of difficulty to any search for Hingerty historical records.

Let's start at the beginning:

Hingerty is an Anglicised form of a Gaelic clan name and as such it changed and morphed over the years as it was variously recorded by English speaking government officials struggling to render Gaelic pronunciation into more 'recognisable' English forms. 

Attitudes to writing down surnames were more 'flexible' in the past when making it sound correct was seen as more important than making it look the same each time it was written. 

Changes in the sounds attached to the letters of the English language also changed over time, especially after the introduction of the printing press (using letter sets imported from northern Europe), changes in handwriting styles and the gradual rise in the education levels of the general public.

Early versions of the surname

Between 1518 and 1777 our surname was variously listed as:

O'hlongerdail     O h-langardail   

O hIongardail     Yhyngardeyll

O'hurdail    Ua h-Urdail    NiUrdail    Ungerdell

Ui longardail    Ingerdal    Indargal    Inardauil

OHengerltye    OHingurdill    OHingurdil    

Ohingerdel     O'Hingerdell  O'Higedell     O Higerdell O'Hingirdill   

Hingerdle    Hingerdel    Hingerdell    Hingerdill 

   Hungordill    Hungerdill     OHungerdell

Hingirdill  Ingerdell   Hingergle  

Hindrell  Hingdull 

Harrington     Herrington    Harraghton     O'Harraughton   

Hingurtie    Hingerty    Hingarty 

Even during the 1800s and beyond, when spelling had become more standardised, surname variations continued. Some variations stayed on along individual family lines and some even became separate surnames surviving down to the present day.

Some variations were caused by officials once again misinterpreting Gaelic sounds when writing down the names of people who could not read or write.

Many of the variations presented in modern day record sets and indexes have been caused by the misinterpretation of the flowery and often nearly indecipherable handwriting previously used in church records and the like.

Later versions of the surname

Some spelling variations since 1800 include:

   Hingarty     Hongarty     Hengarty     Hungarty     

Hingartz     Ingerty    Hangerty     Hinigarty

Hangarty    Huigerty   Hengherty 

Hinerty    Henirty    Hennarty    Hennerty    

Hingerton    Hingertin    Ingerton

Hingerly

John Hingerty married Isabella McDonald in Goulburn, New South Wales in May 1845. 

John could read and write and was able to sign his name on the marriage document. 

However, there are three spelling variations for his surname on the transcript for this one document!

What spelling variations have you found when searching for Hingerty records?

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