(From Irish Names and Surnames, Woulfe, G929.4 W915 sl.)

O haghmaill - I - O Hammell, O'Hamill, Hamill, Hamell, Hammill, Hammell; des. of Aghmall (quick, ready, active) ; also written O hagmaill; the name of a branch of the Cinel Eoghain, still numerous in Ulster.

(from G929.1415 M226mo, More Irish Families, Edward MacLysaght);

"(O) HAMILL
The O'Hamills, whose name in Irish is O'hAghmaill, were a branch of the Cenel Eoghain with territory in south Tyrone and the neighboring parts of Oriel, where from the twelfth century onwards they were noteworthy as poets and ollavs to the O'Hanlons. They were to be found in warlike as well as literary activities: Donnell O'Hammoyle, for example, was among the adherents of Rory O'Donnell at the end of the sixteenth century. In the course of time they became more closely identified with that part of Oriel comprised in the present counties of Armagh and Monaghan than with Tyrone. In Petty's census (1659) they are most numerous in Co. Monaghan, where a few years later the name appears often in the Hearth Money Rolls: while in the modern birth registration statistics Counties Armagh and Louth (with Belfast) are their main location. In addition to poets the O'Hamills also produced a number of distinguished ecclesiastics, particularly sixteenth and seventeenth century Franciscans. In Archbishop Swayne's Register (1418-1439) the name appears as that not only of a dignitary of the archdiocese of Armagh but also of laymen who distrained the goods of the monastery at Armagh.

The full form O'Hamill is still used by a few families in Co. Derry, but elsewhere the prefix O, dropped in the period of Gaelic submergence, has not been much resumed. In the Derry area it has in some cases been changed to Hamilton, while in Dublin Hammond has occasionally been substituted for it."

From S. Hamill Horne, 10 Dec 1992, an extract from "The Book of Ulster Surnames", by Robert Bell, The Blackstaff Press, Belfast:

"HAMILL

This popular Ulster name is most common in counties Antrim and Armagh and can be of Irish, Scottish or English origin. In England the name, originally Hamel, derives from the Old English word hamel, meaning `scarred' or `mutilated'.

In Scotland the name is of Norman territorial origin. The first of the name on record there was William de Hameville in thirteenth-century Annandale in Dumfriesshire. The name is well recorded in Lothian but was most common in Ayrshire and indeed, Hugh Hammill of Roughwood in Ayrshire was one of those who accompanied Montgomery of the Ards to Ulster.

However, already in Ulster at that time, the O'Hamills, Gaelic OhAghmaill, were one of the leading septs of the Cenel Binnigh, a branch of the Cenel Eoghain. As such the O'Hamills claim descent from Binneach, son of Eoghan, son of the fifth-century Niall of the Nine Hostages, founder of the Ui Neill dynasty.

The O'Hamills ruled a territory in south Tyrone and Armagh and from the twelfth century were poets and ollavs (learned men) to the powerful O'Hanlons. By the seventeenth century the name was most numerous in Armagh and Monaghan and by 1900 was also common in Louth. The prefix O' is now used only in Co. Derry and there rarely. The name has also been made Hamilton in that county and elsewhere."

HAMILL, HOMILL, HOMMILL. Of Norman territorial origin. William de Hameville witnessed a confirmation charter of the fishery of Torduf between 1194-1211 (Holm-Cultram, p.35). As William de Heneuile or de Heyneuile he appears as witness in two Annandale charters by William Bruce, between 1194-1214, and in a resignation by Dunegal, son of Udard within the same period (Annandale, I, p. 2, 3). In the reign of William the Lion, Walter de Hamule settled in Lothian where he obtained lands (Caledonia, I, p. 592). He made a grant to the Abbey of Newbattle (Neubotle, 84). Alan Homel perambulated the lands of Rath, c. 1206 (RAA., I, 67). Andreas Homyl was bailie of Roxburgh c. 1338 (Dryburgh, 314), and John Homyl acted as bailie for Sir John Montgomery in 1413. John Homil or Homel was juror in an inquiry respecting right to muir ground at Irvine, 1417 (Irvine, I, p. 20). Another John Homyll was appointed Master of the Grammer School of Aberdeen, 1418 (CRA., p. 5). Robert de Hommyl had a charter of Roughwood, Ayrshire, and confirmation of previous and older grants to his family in 1452 (Ayr Fam., I, p. 373), and Hugh Hammill of Roughwood went to Ireland with Montgomery of Ards. The old Ayrshire family of the name is now extinct. Ada Homyle held a tenement in Glasgow, 1487 (REG., p. 452), Alexander Homil possessed a tenement there in 1497 (ibid., 476), and Hommyle, the king's tailor, was one of the victims executed at Lauder Bridge by the nobles, 1482. (Hume Brown, Hist. Scot., I, p. 277). Alexander Hommyll was on inquest on lands in Gowane (Govan), 1527 (Pollock, I, p. 258), Archibald Hommyle had sasine in Glasgow, 1550 (Protocols, I), Sir John Hummyll was prebendary of Kippane in the same year (Rollock., 64), and George Hommill, burgess of Irvine, was heir of Jonet Hommill, daughter of quondom John Hommill in Halkettis, 1606 (Inquis., 3477), and Hew Hamill was called "ane knave" 1678 (Corsehill., p. 145). Hammel 1671, Hammyll 1620, Homill 1548, Hommyle 1514.

"hamel" from "A dictionary of surnames" by Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges; special consultant for Jewish names, David L. Gold. Oxford [England] ; New York : Oxford University Press, c1988. liv, 826 p. ; 26 cm.:

Hamel

1. German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitation name from the city of Hamlin, Ger. Hameln, Yid. Haml, where the river Hamel empties into the Weser. The name of the river probably derives from the Gmc element ham water meadow (see HAMMER I).

2. Dutch: nickname or metonymic occupational name for a shepherd, from MDu. hamel wether, castrated ram.

3. French: topographic name for someone who lived and worked at an outlying farm dependent on the main village, OF hamel (a dim. from a Gmc element cogn. with OE ham homestead).

Hamill

1. Scots (Norman): habitation name from Haineville or Henneville in Manche, so called from the Gmc personal name Hagano (see Hain 2) + OF ville settlement (see Ville).

2. English: nickname for a scarred or maimed person, from ME, OE hamel mutilated, crooked.

Vars: Hammill, Hammel.

The first known bearer of the name in Scotland was a certain William, recorded variously as de Hameville and de He(y)neuile at the end of the 12th cent. For long it was associated with Roughwood in Ayrs. It has now more or less died out in Scotland, but is common in N. Ireland, where its bearers can trace their ancestry to Hugh Hammill of Roughwood, who went to Ireland with Montgomery of Ards.

The following extracted from the "Hamill Family News", Denver, CO, Summer, 1990:

According to the New Dictionary of American Family Names by Eldon Smith (Harper & Row, 1973) the name Hamill means; One who came from Hammill (Hamela's Wood), in Kent.

Common ancestry with "Hamill" through Cairbre LIFEACHAR. See History, #83.

Cairbre LIFEACHAR
Eochaidh DUBHLEN
da Chrioch COLLA
ROCHADH
Deach DORN
(Feig) FIATH
Criomhthan LIATH
(Eochy) EOCHAIDH
Cairbre Daimh AIRGID
CORMAC
AODH
FERGUS
CORMAC
(Fechin) EGNEACH
IARGALLACH
LUAN
CEARNACH
ODHAR
ORGIALL
SEARRACH
ODHAR
ORGIALL
SEARRACH
Odhar OGE
RANDAL
Donn MOR
Giolla IOSA
DONALL
Donn OGE
AMHAILGADH
PHILLIP
AODH