Hempstead Family History
Hempstead Name Meaning
English: habitational name chiefly from Hempstead in Essex or from either of two places called Hempstead in Norfolk. In Kent the surname is from Hempstead in Gillingham Hemsted in Benenden or Hemsted in Lyminge (all Kent). It is unclear whether (Hemel) Hempstead in Hertfordshire or Hempstead in Gloucestershire also lie behind the modern surname. The Essex and Kent placenames may derive from Old English henep ‘hemp’ + stede ‘place’ while the Norfolk and Hertfordshire placenames probably come from Old English hām-stede ‘homestead’. The Gloucestershire placename derives from Old English hēah ‘high’ + hām-stede.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022