Recorded in many forms as shown below, this is an English surname, but one of Norman French and ultimately Germanic pre 5th century origins. It is a double diminutive form of the personal name 'Hugh', introduced into the British Isles by the Normans in 1066 in the form of 'Hugo'. This is derived from word 'hug' meaning 'heart, mind, or spirit', and was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 for the counties of Huntingdonshire and Suffolk. The name Hugh and its variant forms gained in popularity in the 14th century owing to the fame of St. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln. According to the International Genealogical Index the surname development over the centuries has included examples such as Richard Hulot of Suffolk in 1275, Walter Howlot of Devonshire in 1310, and John Huelot of Worcestershire in 1327. More recent spellings include Thomas Hewlett, a christening witness at St. James's Clerkenwell, on March 1st 1692, and the phonetics Yeulet, Yeulett and Yeulitt with as an example the recording of John Yeulet who married Ann Jones at St Martins in the Field, Westminster, on April 23rd 1798. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Agnes Hughelot. This was dated 1248, in the records of Bec Abbey, Norfolk, during the reign of King Henry 111rd, 1216 - 1272. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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