Hazel
A surname most often taken from the hazel tree, usually for someone who lived near a hazel grove or distinctive hazel tree.
The #4,600 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,040 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hazel comes from the hazel tree, a word ultimately from Old English *hæsel*. As a surname, it was often used for someone who lived by a notable hazel tree or grove, or from a place-name based on hazel. The name can also overlap with related forms such as Halse, Hassell, Haselgrove, and Hazelden.
History
Medieval English records show surname forms linked to residences by prominent hazel trees, and later spellings varied widely by region. The surname also appears in place-based compounds such as Haselgrove and Hazelden, showing how a local landscape feature could generate multiple family names. In Ireland, however, similar-looking forms can sometimes reflect unrelated Gaelic names associated with the hazel tree, so not every Hazel-family surname has the same origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The hazel tree was culturally important in Celtic tradition, and one historical source even connects an early Irish king, Mac Cuill, with worship of the hazel.
From the historical record
“Grandson or Descendant of Coll, i.e. the Hazel-Tree [Ir. d or ua, grandson -j- the genit. {cuilt) of coll, the hazel-tree] (6) the Irish il^acCwW =, Son of Coll, i.e. the Hazel-TrEe.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)