Hackett is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

surname found throughout the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

and the

English diaspora The English diaspora consists of English people and their descendants who emigrated from England. The diaspora is concentrated in the English-speaking world in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Irela ...

. In the early seventeenth century, members of the Hacketts migrated to the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

, first settling in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. According to the 1990 U.S.

Census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

, there were 17,409 Hacketts in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

making it the 1,689th most common name in the U.S. In

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

there are 8,740 Hacketts making it the 904th most common surname in the country, with the name being particularly common in

The Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the In ...

. It is also quite prevalent in Australia with 3,921 Hacketts, Canada with 2,690 Hacketts and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

with 2,249 Hacketts.

Origin

The Hackett surname originates in

. Most textbooks discussing the origin of

surnames theorize that the surname Hackett has

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

origins. The name Hacker is derived from the medieval given names Hack or Hake. These English names are derivatives of the Old Norse name Haki, which is a cognate of the English name Hook. The name Haket de Ridefort was recorded in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

in the year 1160. The name can also be found in poll tax records in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

dating back to 1158 and the name 'Hake' is still popular in Yorkshire as well. The name was recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

of 1086 as 'Hako'. The name 'Haket' was also recorded in 1160 in

and the name 'Hacke' was recorded in England in 1218. Another possible origin of the name is that it derives from the Middle English word 'haket', a kind of fish. This suggests that the name could've been an occupational name for fisherman. Mabil Hacket was recorded in the

Hundred Rolls The Hundred Rolls are a census of England and parts of what is now Wales taken in the late thirteenth century. Often considered an attempt to produce a second Domesday Book, they are named after the hundreds by which most returns were recorded. Th ...

in 1273. Hackett is a common surname in the Midlands region. The village

Cofton Hackett Cofton Hackett is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of north east Worcestershire, England. It is southwest of the city centre of Birmingham and northeast of Worcester. In 2011, the village had a population of 1,893 but wit ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

is named after William de Haket, who held land there around 1166.Red Book of Exchequer (Rolls Series), 299. The name is particularly common in

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Av ...

ranking as the 140th most common surname in the county, as well as Staffordshire (194th), and

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

(200th). Outside of the Midlands, the name is also popular in the East of England being the 161st most common surname in Suffolk and the 250th most common surname in

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the ...

, as well as being popular in

South East England South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Berkshi ...

. The name is the 149th most commons surname in East Sussex and the 208th most common name in Buckinghamshire. Many Hacketts in Ireland were

Protestants and were prominent members of society during the

Protestant Ascendancy The ''Protestant Ascendancy'', known simply as the ''Ascendancy'', was the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland between the 17th century and the early 20th century by a minority of landowners, Protestant clergy, and members of th ...

. Several Hacketts and Hakets appear in the lists of sheriffs of Counties Tipperary and

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

and as

members of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for Fethard up through the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Notable examples include Sir Thomas Hackett who was

Lord Mayor of Dublin The Lord Mayor of Dublin ( ga, Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the honorary title of the chairperson ( ga, Cathaoirleach, links=no ) of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Th ...

, Thomas Hacket an Anglican bishop who was educated at

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

in the 1600s, Sir

John Winthrop Hackett Sir John Winthrop Hackett Sr. (4 February 184819 February 1916), generally known as "Winthrop Hackett", was a proprietor and editor of several newspapers in Western Australia, a politician and a university chancellor. Early life Hackett was b ...

a prominent newspaper proprietor, politician and university chancellor and various Hacketts who were members of the

Parliament of Ireland The Parliament of Ireland ( ga, Parlaimint na hÉireann) was the legislature of the Lordship of Ireland, and later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1297 until 1800. It was modelled on the Parliament of England and from 1537 comprised two cham ...

. The Hackett name first migrated to Ireland at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1170. Members of the Hackett family accompanied Richard "Strongbow" de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke during his invasion of Ireland. The Hacketts were subsequently granted estates in the modern counties of Kilkenny, Carlow and

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional ce ...

and thus became the principal holders of land and one of the most influential families in Ireland. As a result, several towns have taken the Hackett name, including Hacketstown, in County Carlow. Further, the Fiants of Henry VIII and

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...

indicate that in the sixteenth century there were also Hacketstowns, or Ballyhackett, in Counties

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

and Kildare. A branch of the Hacketts moved into

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...

, where, in due course, they became hibernicized and, like other Norman families of that province, formed a distinct if small

sept A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ...

which was known as MacHackett, their seat being Castle Hackett, six miles south-east of

Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bronz ...

. Yet, in modern times, there has been little trace of the name Hackett in Connacht or usage of the name MacHackett in general. The Hackett name is still strong, however, in and around Counties

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

and Kilkenny.

Coats of arms

Coat of Arms were an important sign of a noble individual in medieval Europe for recognition in times of battle or at tournaments. An early Coat of Arms was worn by William de Hackett of Cashel in County Tipperary who founded a Franciscan Friary there in the 13th Century. His arms were three hake fish haurient in fesse and in chief three trefoils slipped proper, however the coloring is unknown. Another Coat of Arms was granted to Sir Thomas Hackett, descended from an ancient family long settled in Ireland and Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1688. The coat of arms bore "the splendid blazon of a field gules thereon three hakes argent haurient in fesse, on a chief or three trefoils slipped proper. The crest being, out of a mural coronet argent, an eagle displayed with two heads sable, with the motto; Spec mea Deus". Translated, this reads "On a red shield are three silver hake fish (a pun on the name Hackett) on the top fourth (Chief) are three shamrocks on a gold background. A double eagle wearing a tiara perched on two snakes, while a motto reads "God is my Hope". Other mottos include "Virtue and Fidelity.", "All for now, men!" and "Fortitudine et prudentia" (With fortitude and prudence) the later believed to be from Hackett's originating in the Carlow, Kilkenny, and Wexford areas. Most of the official coats of arms granted to individual Hacketts are a variant of the one granted to Sir Thomas Hackett.

Variations

Hacket, Halket, Hackitt, Hacker, Haket, Hackert, Halkett, and Ó hAicéad are some known variations.

Notable Hacketts

A. J. Hackett Allan John "A. J." Hackett (born May 1958) is a New Zealand entrepreneur who popularised the extreme sport of bungy jumping. He made a bungy jump from the Eiffel Tower in 1987 and founded the first commercial bungy site in 1988. He is also the ...

, founder of a bungee jumping company in New Zealand *

Albert Hackett Albert Maurice Hackett (February 16, 1900 – March 16, 1995) was an American actor, dramatist and screenwriter most noted for his collaborations with his partner and wife Frances Goodrich. Early years Hackett was born in New York City, the s ...

, American dramatist and screenwriter * Barbara Kloka Hackett (1928–2018), American judge *

Bernard Hackett Bernard Hackett (7 September 1933 - 21 May 2022) was an English former professional footballer, builder and Black Country poet. He played in The Football League for Chester in the 1950s. Playing career Although born in Ramsbottom, Hackett gre ...

, English footballer *

Bobby Hackett Robert Leo Hackett (January 31, 1915 – June 7, 1976) was an American jazz musician who played trumpet, cornet, and guitar with the bands of Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Hackett was a featured soloist o ...

, American jazz musician *

Bobby Hackett (swimmer) Robert William Hackett, Jr. (born August 16, 1959) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. He represented the United States at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec as a 16-year-old, wh ...

, American swimmer * Brendan Hackett, Gaelic football manager and sports psychologist *

Buddy Hackett Buddy Hackett (born Leonard Hacker; August 31, 1924 – June 30, 2003) was an American actor, comedian and singer. His best remembered roles include Marcellus Washburn in ''The Music Man'' (1962), Benjy Benjamin in ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Wo ...

(born Hacker), American comedian and actor *

Chelsea Hackett Chelsea Hackett (born October 29, 1999) is an Australian kickboxer, mixed martial artist and muay thai fighter competing in the Women's Flyweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). Early life Hackett was born in Melbourne and moved ...

, Australian kickboxer *

Chris Hackett (footballer) Christopher James Hackett (born 1 March 1983) is an English retired footballer who currently works as under-18s coach at Oxford United. Club career Oxford United Born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, Hackett started his career with home-town club Oxfor ...

, professional footballer for Millwall *

Chris Hackett (artist) Chris Hackett, born in New York City, is an artist, television presenter, writer, fabricator and instructor. He is a co-founder of the Madagascar Institute, an art combine located in Brooklyn, NY, contributing editor for ''Popular Science'' mag ...

, artist, engineer, and television presenter * Chris Hackett, a candidate in the

United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2008 The 2008 congressional elections in Pennsylvania was held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives. Pennsylvania has 19 seats in the House, apportioned according t ...

* D. J. Hackett, American football, wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers *

Daniel Hackett Daniel Lorenzo Hackett (born December 19, 1987) is an American-Italian professional basketball player for Virtus Bologna of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. Standing at , he can play at both the point guard and shooting g ...

Italian basketball player * David Hackett (1926–2011), US official, during Kennedy administration * Dave Hackett, professional skateboarder * David Spencer Hackett, inspiration for Robert Mueller to enter military service and public service * Des Hackett, Australian naturalist *

Earle Hackett Dr Earle Hackett (26 April 1921 – 5 April 2010) was an Irish-born pathologist and haematologist who migrated to Australia, where he held several responsible administrative positions. He is best remembered as a radio broadcaster on medical subje ...

(1921–2010), pathologist and broadcaster in Australia * Father Jack Hackett, fictional ''Father Ted'' character * Francis Hackett, author * Gary Hackett, former English footballer *

Grant Hackett Grant George Hackett OAM (born 9 May 1980) is an Australian swimmer, most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to ...

, Australian swimmer *

Henry Hackett Henry Monck Mason Hackett (1 March 1849- 24 December 1933 ) was Dean of Waterford from 1903 until 1913. Hackett was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and ordained in 1875. After a curacy in Banbridge he was a CMS Missionary in Benares from 18 ...

, Dean of Waterford from 1903 to 1913 * Horatio Balch Hackett, biblical scholar *

James Keteltas Hackett James Keteltas Hackett (September 6, 1869 – November 8, 1926) was an American actor and manager. Life James K. Hackett was the son of Clara C. and James Henry Hackett, a comedian and celebrated Falstaff. He was born on Wolfe Island, O ...

(1869–1926), American actor *

James Hackett (businessman) James Patrick Hackett (born April 22, 1955) is an American businessman. He was the president and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company from May 2017 to October 2020. Early life, education, and family The Hackett family originally moved ...

American Businessman Ford Motor Company * James William Hackett, haiku poet *

Jeff Hackett Jeffrey David Hackett (born June 1, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Bosto ...

, retired NHL goaltender * Jeremy Hackett, English fashion design and co-founder of Hackett London *

Joan Hackett Joan Ann Hackett (March 1, 1934 – October 8, 1983) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She starred in the 1967 western ''Will Penny''. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the Golde ...

, American film, television and stage actress *

John Hackett (musician) John Hackett (born 13 March 1955) is a British musician, the younger brother of guitarist Steve Hackett. Although his primary instrument is the flute, he also plays guitar, bass, bass pedals and keyboards. Early career Hackett had both classi ...

, flautist * General Sir

John Hackett (British Army officer) General Sir John Winthrop Hackett, (5 November 1910 – 9 September 1997) was an Australian-born British soldier, painter, university administrator, author and in later life, a commentator. Early life Hackett, nicknamed "Shan", was born in P ...

, British army officer and author * Sir

, Australian journalist, newspaper proprietor, politician and university chancellor *

Kate Hackett Kate Hackett is an actress, writer, and producer best known for creating & starring as Alice Rackham in the Amazon web series ''Classic Alice''. She is also known for Hulu's '' Best Laid Plans'' and Netflix's ''Real Rob''. Career Hackett acte ...

, actor, producer *

Keith Hackett Keith Stuart Hackett (born 22 June 1944) is an English former football referee, who began refereeing in local leagues in the Sheffield, South Yorkshire area in 1960. He is counted amongst the top 100 referees of all time in a list maintained b ...

, former FIFA, European and English football referee * Ken Hackett, American, president of Catholic Relief Services *

Liam Hackett (firefighter) William (Liam) Alfred Hackett is a retired British firefighter and recipient of the Life Saving Medal of the Order of St John. He was awarded the London Fire Brigade's highest gallantry award, ''The Chief Officers Commendation'' in 1990 and the ...

London Fire Brigade, recipient of Life Saving Medal of the Order of St. John 1991 * Martha Hackett, American television actress * Martin Hackett (born 1891), Irish hurler with the Dublin senior team * Matt Hackett, National Hockey League goaltender, nephew of Jeff * Matthew Hackett, computer graphics animator *

Michael Hackett (basketball) Michael Hackett (born May 11, 1960) is a retired American professional basketball player. He was the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto MVP in 1984, and the Israeli League Top Scorer in 1991. Basketball career He attended Jacksonville University, w ...

(born 1960), American basketball player, playing internationally *

Nathaniel Hackett Nathaniel Hackett (born December 19, 1979) is an American football coach. A former long-time assistant to Doug Marrone, Hackett previously served as the offensive coordinator for the NFL's Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills ...

, American football coach, former head coach of the Denver Broncos * Nelson Hackett, escaped slave * Nicole Hackett, Australian triathlete * Norman H. Hackett, Canadian-born American actor * O. C. Hackett, founding Supervisor, Tuscola Township, Illinois (1868); California gold rush pioneer * Patricia Hackett (1908–1963), Australian lawyer, stage actress and author, daughter of Sir Winthrop Hackett * Paul Hackett (politician), political candidate *

Paul Hackett (American football) Paul Roger Hackett (born July 5, 1947) is a former American football coach. He served as head football coach of University of Pittsburgh from 1989 to 1992 and at the University of Southern California (USC) from 1998 to 2000. Hackett was quarterb ...

, American football coach * Peter Hackett (frontiersman), frontiersman and resident of Boonesborough, Kentucky, 1779; Kentucky militiaman in the American Revolution *

Peter Hackett (mountaineer) Peter H. Hackett is an American mountaineer and medical doctor. He is the third person to have summited Mount Everest in a solo ascent, climbing from South Col to the top on October 24, 1981. He studies the effect of altitude on human physiology, a ...

, American mountaineer and medical doctor * Reg Hackett, English soccer footballer in the 1920s *

Richard Hackett Richard Cecil "Dick" Hackett (born July 21, 1949) was mayor of the city of Memphis, Tennessee from 1982 to 1991. He also served as Shelby County (Tennessee) Clerk from 1978 to 1982. At the time that he took office as mayor, he was 33 years old ...

, Mayor of Memphis, 1982–1991 * Rosalind Hackett, American historian * Simon Hackett, South Australian internet technology entrepreneur * Simon Hackett (academic), British academic and former social worker *

Steve Hackett Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis ...

, British guitarist, songwriter, and record producer * Steven C. Hackett, American economist *

Thomas Bernard Hackett Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bernard Hackett (15 June 1836 – 5 October 1880) was born in Riverstown, County Tipperary and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the ...

, recipient of the Victoria Cross * William Thomas Gould Hackett, economist *

William Hackett (VC) William Hackett VC (11 June 1873 – 27 June 1916) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Biography ...

(1873–1916), English recipient of the Victoria Cross * William Hackett (mountaineer), American mountaineer

Hacket

John Hacket John Hacket (Born Halket) (1 September 1592 – 28 October 1670) was an English churchman, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry from 1661 until his death. Life He was born in London and educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge. On ta ...

, Bishop of Lichfield * William Hacket or Hackett, claimed to be the Messiah in London on 19 July 1591, executed for treason 12 days later

Hackitt

Judith Hackitt Dame Judith Elizabeth Hackitt, , FIChemE, FCGI (born 1 December 1954) is a British engineer and civil servant. A former Chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive, she is currently Chair of manufacturing trade body EEF. Early life Hackitt ...

, DBE, British chemical engineer and former Chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive

References

Sources

A dictionary of English and Welsh surnames, with special American instancesA Dictionary of English SurnamesSurname DatabaseThe Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and IrelandAncestry.comHackett mottos fairnbarn 1860

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hackett English-language surnames Surnames of English origin Surnames of British Isles origin Surnames