Haygreen Family History

The term 'of uncertain origin' suggests a complex etymology. The early spelling Hegrum seems to contradict a derivation from Hay Green, which is located near Terrington Saint Clement, Norfolk. This place may have roots in the Middle English word hei meaning 'hay' or heie referring to a 'fence enclosure', combined with grene denoting a 'grassy area'. Although association with this place-name might have influenced its evolution to Heigreene and similar forms, the connection remains ambiguous.

An alternative theory suggests that Hegrum could be linked to the early Middle English personal name Havegrim. This name finds its origins in Old Scandinavian Hafgrímr, composed of haf for 'sea' and grímr meaning 'mask'. Evidence of this can be found in the historical record mentioning Eustacius filius Hauegrim from the year 1202 in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire.

As language evolved, the medial /v/ sound may have been lost between the vowels, leading to the transformation of Havegrim into the later Middle English form *Hāgrim. This process likely continued, resulting in early Modern English forms such as *Haygrim and *He(a)grim.

In this linguistic journey, the weakly stressed -grim may have morphed into various endings such as -grum, -grin(e), and -green. However, the lack of supporting evidence from later Middle English texts casts doubt on this explanation.