Henry:- Generally speaking--most from England and a few from Ireland and Germany> I am not qualified to deal with those from Ireland and Germany so here is the English explanation: ************************************* Family names in England originated after the time of William the Conqueror and the names are said to originate primarily from geographical features or occupations. The name Hunt is said to be derived from the Saxon word hunti or wolf. In early days in Great Britain (and elsewhere) wolves were a danger to flocks of domestic animals and a bounty was paid for killing wolves. For prowess in the "Hunt" for wolves, the name Hunt is presumed to have been given a man proficient in that endeavor. Quite possibly true. But it also follows that there would have been many men in different locations of similar proficiency that may well have assumed a similar name. So the assumption that the name Hunt can be traced back to a single individual is as foolish as the presumption that anyone can trace their ancestors back to Adam and Eve (as some profess with great pride to do). Records of Hunts (or variations thereof) have been found in English records back as far as 1295. There were many English families in various locations that bore the name Hunt, and many of them were (and are) quite distinguished families authorized to bear a Coat of Arms. There are many different variations of Coats of Arms for different branches of the Hunt families in England, and there are many genealogies in English records on the Armorial Hunts of England. But to assume that these identified families represent most or even a large part of the families named Hunt in England is comparable to assuming that a list of Hunts in Who's Who represents a large part of the Hunt families in America at the time. Few, if any, of the early Hunt families of America before the 19th century can be traced through the Hunt name back to the Armorial Hunts of England. For many of the early Hunt immigrants to America, no evidence has been found of where they came from or their ancestry. Sandy Hunt in Lubbock.......From a Mitchell J. Hunt paper.