# Origins and meaning of -halgh name ending?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-halgh-name-ending/430831
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 21, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-halgh-name-ending/430831 "2007-12-21T14:05:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-halgh-name-ending/430831/1 "2007-12-21T14:05:03Z")
I’ve noticed a few surnames recently with -halgh, ie hesmondhalgh, Greenhalgh. What does it mean and what language/where does it originate from?
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-halgh-name-ending/430831/2 "2007-12-21T14:09:22Z")
It seems to be northern English, and from the same origin as “haugh” according to this [slightly unsatisfying entry in Google Books](http://books.google.com/books?id=zQPnB1IAjUsC&pg=RA1-PA378&lpg=RA1-PA378&dq=hesmondhalgh+origin&source=web&ots=cUTzEBdMYO&sig=PLNXt7A3TGQEft_HTZSzEdn9_PY).
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-halgh-name-ending/430831/3 "2007-12-21T14:11:41Z")
[This](http://books.google.com/books?id=zQPnB1IAjUsC&pg=RA1-PA807&dq=halgh&sig=XKvQtWu3fImFh9KJCKYT2FDyZDE#PRA1-PA2-IA8,M1)is better:
> [@](#):
>
> **Halgh** for **hough** or **haugh** , a hill, a mound, the same as How;
Ibid.
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### Author:  [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2007, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-halgh-name-ending/430831/4 "2007-12-21T14:42:48Z")
A possible origin of Greenhalgh can be found [here](http://www.greenhalgh-web.co.uk/Origins%20and%20meaning.htm):
> [@](#):
>
> **Greenhalgh the Origins & meaning**
>
> One theory is that the name is of Nordic (Viking) origin, one possible meaning which I keep hearing over the years is Land by a body of water. The current spelling of Greenhalgh I believe is an English approximation of the local pronunciation. The spelling has probably changed several times since the Norman conquest of England which was complete by 1071AD.
>
> The Doomsday Book which was written 14 years after the Norman conquest states that the original spelling of Greenhalgh was Greneholf, so lets have a look at the meaning of this spelling by breaking this in to its two parts, firstly **Grene**.
>
> Meaning found at [www.dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com) Using their Dictionary search **Grene**
>
> Middle English **grene** , from Old English grne; sense 7 translation of German Grünen, Greens, from grün, green.]
>
> Now lets look at the second part **holf**
>
> Meaning found at [www.dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com) Using their thesaurus search **Island**
>
> N. island, isle, islet, eyot[obs], ait[obs], **holf** [obs], reef, atoll, breaker; archipelago; islander.
>
> So loosely translated from old English Greenhalgh means Green Island, rather nice I think. I feel to take the HALGH in modern English/Dutch or German is impossible, as I said earlier this spelling is an approximation of the pronunciation & is not truly a word.