Help Family History

From Middle English help(e), hilp(e) (south-western) and hulp(e) (Old English help(e), hylp), the term means ‘help support’ and also refers to ‘one who helps others, a supporter’. This explanation is supported by the definite article in the 14th-century Kent example. However, the south-western surname could alternatively belong at (2).

Perhaps it comes from the rare early Middle English personal name Help(e) or *Hilp(e), which represents Continental Germanic *Hilpe, *Helpe, or Old English *Help, *Hylp. These names are pet forms of names in Help- meaning ‘aid, succour’.

There is also a possibility that it draws from Old Scandinavian Hjálpi, which originates from hjálp meaning ‘help’. This gives additional context to the origins of the name and its usage in different cultures.

The surname examples below may alternatively belong at (1), indicating a complex evolution and adaptation of the term through various languages and forms.