What would it mean by "Hathaway"?

Question

There is a famous actress called Anne Hathaway. I was wondering whether I can understand her family name as "her father's father's ... father wanted his son/daughter has a way"? I'm not a native English speaker, and I would really like to know whether an English name has its own meaning. Thanks in advance!

Philip · Accepted Answer

Many English surnames do carry meaning (or at least they did in the beginning).  Smith, Brown, White, Fisher, etc. are common examples.  I don't know if "Hathaway" carried the meaning you suggest or not.  You might try Googling the name and see if you can find an etymology somewhere.

Asaisaio · Answer

Thanks very much for your answer. I think it has a meaning, because I know that hath = has in old English. Do you think it carries what I said now?

Philip · Answer

asaisaioThanks very much for your answer. I think it has a meaning, because I know that hath = has in old English. Do you think it carries what I said now?

I am aware of the archaic form 'hath'. What I don't know is whether it had any influence on the choosing of that surname.

Dave_anon · Answer

Hi

I don't think it has anything to do with 'hath'

Possibly, it is like heath-away, meaning someone who lived near a heath (they lived near open, barren land)

Some say it is related to Heaethuwig which, in turn, relates to the German Haduwig. That would mean someone known for their aggressiveness or prowess in battle

As Phil says, you can find internet sites. E.g...

https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Hathaway

Dave

Blue Jay · Answer

dave_anonPossibly, it is like heath-away, meaning someone who lived near a heath (they lived near open, barren land)

Or Hethe-weye (pronounced Heatha-way) meaning path across the heath, perhaps because they lived beside the path.

Asaisaio · Answer

Maybe you are correct, but I think the pronunciation of the /a/ sound as in "hathaway" is very different from the /ea/ sound as in "heath". Why do you think "Hathaway" is related to "heath"?

Blue Jay · Answer

asaisaioMaybe you are correct, but I think the pronunciation of the /a/ sound as in "hathaway" is very different from the /ea/ sound as in "heath". Why do you think "Hathaway" is related to "heath"?

Sorry, I didn't explain that very clearly. I was making the point that the final e in Hethe was actually pronounced (as an a or uh sound), unlike Modern English where a final e is usually silent. I paid no attention to the correct pronunciation of the rest of the word. An e in the middle of a word would have been pronounced closer to a long a, as in fate, rather than a long e as in green. That would have made it something like hay-thuh. The pronunciation of vowels in English has changed over the centuries (Google "great vowel shift" for more information about this), and there are some regional differences in pronunciation in Britain that linger to this day. The word I just gave as a pronunciation example, green, was formerly grene, pronounced gray-nuh. The word hethe in everyday use became heath, with the long e sound but in the name the long a sound was shortened, and the -uh sound persisted, though it was dropped from the weye, to make hath-a-way.

Khoff · Answer

asaisaio Do you think it carries what I said now?

Definitely NOT. I don't think anyone recognizes any meaning in it now.

Philip · Answer

khoff asaisaio Do you think it carries what I said now?Definitely NOT. I don't think anyone recognizes any meaning in it now.

I don't often repeat myself here, but I do think it is time for the OP to do some research on his/her own if he/she desires to pursue this matter.

What would it mean by "Hathaway"?

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