An English, Welsh and Scottish surname, Hewitt comes from the Old English term ‘hiewet’ and the Middle English term ‘hewett’ which meant to chop, to clear the land. The spelling variations for Hewitt include Hewit, Hewett, Hewatt and Hewat. In England the Hewitt families started in the Dorset area. Over the centuries the Hewitt name spread to all corners of England and Wales. The counties with the highest Hewitt populations are Yorkshire, Lancashire, the city of London, Norfolk, Cheshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire. In Scotland the Hewitt name is scattered across the country. Most with the Hewitt name live in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Midlothian. Within the United States the original Hewitt families were established first in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, New Jersey and Michigan. Famous: Lleyton Glynn Hewitt (champion tennis player of Australia), Jennifer Love-Hewitt (television and movie film actress), Donald S. Hewitt (television new producer), Edwin Shields Hewitt (founder of Hewitt and Associates in 1940), Paul G. Hewitt (outstanding American physicist), Foster William Hewitt (pioneer radio broadcaster in Canada), John Hewitt (soccer player from Scotland), Steve Hewitt (musician - drummer), Gavin Hewitt (journalist for the BBC) and John T. Hewitt (co-founder of Jackson Hewitt and founder of Liberty Tax Service).