Hawtin Family History

From Anglo-Norman French and Middle English haltein, haltain, haltan, hautain, hautein, hautin, auteyn, meaning ‘proud, haughty, arrogant’, certainly attested it seems in the 1327 Staffs bearer Robertus le Hauteyn and perhaps in the Norfolk and Oxon families surnamed Halteyn, Hautein. But see Further information below.

From an altered form of the Middle English personal name Hal(f)dan, Halden, Haldein, Alde(i)n (Old Scandinavian Halfdan), see Haldane and Alden, which was early confused with or influenced by (i), (iii), and (iv). See Further information.

From Middle English half-thein (Old English healf + Þegn) meaning ‘half thane’, either for a man of knightly rank or for a retainer. It may have been given to one who held half a tenure or half a position. See The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland, 2021 and compare Richard Halfcarl about 1277 in Miscellaneous Inquisitions and Thomas Halfsweyn 1299 in Assize Rolls (Staffs).

For a hall servant or retainer from Middle English hal(le)-thein meaning ‘hall thane’ (Old English heall-þegn).