A coat-of-arms is known for the name.

There exists a coat-of-arms attached to the Hardesty name. This can be found in the pages of Burke's General Armoury, and is reproduced below. I make no claims as to the right to bear these arms, as I have no idea to what family of Hardestys it may pertain.

Blazon: Azure, a lion rampant between three fleurs-de-lis or, a chief vair.

Crest: A boar's head couped proper pierced through by an arrow.

An alternate crest can be found in Fairbairn's Crests of the families of Great Britain and Ireland (p. 228): Two hands, issuing from clouds, conjoined, in fess.

Origin History of Surname

The Hardesty name is one of that class of surnames which are derived from place names.

The Hardisty surname is derived from an English place name. From A Dictionary of Surnames (Hanks and Hodges), we learn that Hardisty “is a habitation name from a place in Yorks., in the parish of Fewston.

The place name is recorded in 1379 as Hardolfsty, from the Old English personal name Heardwulf (composed of the elements heard hardy, brave, strong + wulf wolf) + Old English stïg path)”.

In this case, from a locality in the West  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  England.  

It derives from the two places called either Hardisty in Nesfield, near Ilkley, or Hardisty Hill near Fewston, in the same area.

The origination is Norse Viking and the hamlets names mean "The sty of Hardolf."

The word "sty" had a completely different meaning to today (20th century). Now it describes a small building in which an unfortunate pig is kept, then in the 9th Century it described a farm of some size. "Hardolf" is made up of two compounds - "hard" which describes somebody who was hard and brave, and "ulf" - a wolf. The Norse- Vikings loved names which reflected their attitudes, and this is a good example

The  name  is, also  shown as,  Heardwulfstig,  which  being  translated   into  modern English from the Anglo-Saxon, means Hardwolf's Path.  Who was Hardwolf??   

He was, apparently, a Saxon landowner of pre-Norman times in Fewston Parish, Yorkshire. Hardwolf was in time spelled Hardulf or Hardolf. The Poll Tax records for the West Riding of Yorkshire in the year 1379 show a Stephanus and a Johannes de Hardolfsty, both from the village of Timble Great, or Great Timble as it is known today.

From Fewston, Hardestys spread into surrounding parishes, with the parish of Hampsthwaite being one of the major sources of the colonial Hardestys.

The family has spread from this small parish to around the world.

Examples of the surname recording include

William Hardosty in the York Rolls of 1450, whilst in the church registers An Hardisty married William Sligsby at Fewston Church on February 1st 1600 in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 (1558 - 1603).

Amongst the early settlers to New England in 1635 was one John Hardisse, as recorded. It is possible that he was originally a "Hardisty" who fell foul of 17th century spelling.

The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Hardolssty, which was dated 1379, The Friary & Poll Tax Rolls of Yorkshire, during the reign of King Richard 11, known as "Richard of Bordeaux" 1377 - 1399.

The Hardisty surname demonstrates the tendency of many surnames to remain persistent within the geographic region where they were formed. In LITTLE TIMBLE, GREAT TIMBLE & THE HAMLET OF SNOWDEN by William Grainge (1895), we are told that; “Hardisty or Hardistie – is one of the family names that appear to have sprung up on the Forest soil, flourished through all the period of recorded time, and is yet remaining in the land”.

A range of sources can be used to substantiate Grange’s claim.

Four hundred years following the Poll Tax reference on which the Hanks and Hodges reference is based, the 1881 census confirms that the surname was concentrated in the Poor Law Unions of Knarsboro, Warfdale and Bradford, close to the parish of Fewston. (see fig.1)

The British Listed Buildings site lists a Hardisty House in the Parish of Fewston near Hardisty Hill. It is described as having a “Coursed squared gritstone, graduated stone slate roof, 2 storeys, 2 bays, with rear outshut”. The door lintel displays the engraving “H 1728”, and is attributed to a William Hardisty. We learn further from an article in the Pately Bridge & Nidderdale Herald (1988), that “In 1681 William and Arthur Hardisty purchased the manorial rights of their part of the Forest of Knaresborough, and most of the Hardistys were listed in wills as yeoman”.

The Hearth Tax of 1672 reaffirms the presence of Hardistys in Hampsthwaite and Fewston parishes, where no fewer than 7% of taxpayers were Hardistys.

The Elizabethan Subsidy Roll (1597-8), references a Wil. Hardistie living in Clyfton.

Finally, the previously mentioned Poll tax of 1379 records that in “Villa de Tymble, Knaresborough Liberty”, Johannes de Hardolfsty and Stephanus de Hardolfsty were taxpayers

Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Spelling variants

The name is variously spelled Hardesty, Hardisty, Hardestye, Hardistye, Hardestey and Hardester, etc.

The History & Topography of the Townships of Little Timble, Great Timble and  the Hamlet of Snowden in West Riding of the Country of York;  William Grainge; 1895 Oatley William Walker & Sons, Victoria Works 

pg. 186 187 188

Hardisty, or Hardistie. — This is one of the family names that appear to have sprung up on the Forest soil, flourished through all the period of recorded time, and is yet remaining in the land. It has a war-like sound with it, like the battle-cry of an old Norse sea-king, or Danish warrior. In the Poll Tax Roll, 1379, we find in Villa de Tymble John de Hardofsty and Stephen de Hardolfsty, each paying 4d. In 1504, among the witnesses in the great Plumpton law suit, are John Hardistie and Stephen Hardistie, yeomen; and in 1651, William Hardistie was one of the selected trustees, and Arthur Hardistie one of the trustees for purchasing the manorial rights of the Forest of Knaresborough. In 1672, Steven Hardisty, Francis Hardisty, William Hardisty, senr., and William Hardisty, paid hearth tax in Timble-cum-Fewston. In the Fewston parish register the name appears amongst the first, and continues down to the present time. In 1596 there were six families of that name residing in the parish of Fewston. In 1616, death was busy amongst them, as will be seen by the following extracts from the register : —

"1616. Christopher Hardisty had a child buried 21st April.

"1616. Samuel Hardisty was buried 26th December.

"1616. John Hardisty was buried 27th December.

"1616. Jane Hardisty was buried 23rd Jan.

"1617. Christopher Hardisty had a wench buried 13th July."

The two following extracts are indicative of their social status in the community : —

"1601. William Slingesby and Anne Hardisty were married by a lycence the first of ffebruarie.

"1602. William Hardistie and ffraunces fFrankland were married by a lycence the 21st of October.

"1639. Christopher Hardistie, of Hardistie Hill, buried 3rd of May."

This place is in Fewston township, but whether they gave name to the hill, or received their name from it, is not certain, though our opinion is that the personal name is much older than the place name.

"1674, Aprill. Alice Hardestie, of the Nabs, that virtuous matron, was buried the sixteenth day." (As if to mark its importance, this entry is made in large German text.)

'When the Forest of Knaresborough was enclosed in 1778, Joshua Hardisty had twenty-one allotments awarded to him, chiefly in Norwood.

It would require a volume to deal fully with this numerous and widely-spread family — from

"Steven Hardolfsty," of the Poll Tax Roll, to one of its present off shoots, Mr. Robert Hardisty Skaife, editor of "Kirkby's Inquest, Knight's Fees, and the Nominum Villarum for Yorkshire" (1867), and "The Register of the Guild of Corpus Christi, York" (187 1), for the Surtees Society ; and the translation of the Yorkshire portion of the Domesday Survey. The notes appended to these works are a rich mine of materials for the Yorkshire genealogist and local historian.

=========================================================

Another tree on Ancestry.com takes the Hardisty Hardistie linage back further

Bollands Family Tree Tree pages Owner: PaulB222 .

Hardistie Birth 1325 in Yorkshire Death had: 1 John born 1351

• 2 Steven Hardistie Birth 1350 in Fewston Yorkshire, England Death had:

Steven Hardistie Birth 1375 in Fewston Yorkshire, England Death had:

William Hardistie Birth 1400 in Fewston Yorkshire, England Death Had:

Steven Hardistie Birth 1425 in Fewston Yorkshire, England Death Had:

William Hardistie Birth 1450 in Fewston Yorkshire Death had 1 John Hardistie born 1476

• 2 Steven Hardistie Birth 1475 in Fewston Yorkshire Death

Steven Hardistie Birth 1475 in Fewston Yorkshire Death had:

• 1 William Hardistie Birth 1500 in Fewston Yorkshire England Death 1561 in Hampswaithe Yorkshire, England

  married Isabell Hardisty 1500 –  

*2 Thomas Hardistie Birth 1501 in Fewston Yorkshire, England Death

Thomas Hardistie Birth 1501 in Fewston Yorkshire, England Death Living Death Had:

Thomas Hardistie Birth 1526 in Fewston Yorkshire, England Death 1578 in Fewston Yorkshire, England spouse: Elizabeth Snowdon Birth 1525 Death

Children:

* 1 Francis Hardesty1555

• 2 Stephen Hardistie1557 – 1619

*3 John Hardistie Birth 1554 in  Fewston Yorkshire, England   Death 1616 in  Norwood Fewston Yorkshire 

Spouse  Dorothy ---  Birth 1556 in  Yorkshire     Death 1623 in  Fewston

John Hardistie Birth 1554 in Fewston Yorkshire, England Death 1616 in Norwood Fewston Yorkshire Spouse Dorothy --- Birth 1556 in Yorkshire Death 1623 in Fewston

• Children
• Daniel Hardistie 1597 –
• William Hardistie 1598 – 1630
• Mary Hardistie 1599 – 1600
• Samuel Hardistie 1600 – 1616
• Ann Hardistie1601 –
• Jane Hardistie1602 –
• Elizabeth Hardistie 1603 –
• Joshua Hardistie 1604 – 1688
• John Hardistie 1610 –

some gives the maiden name of Dorothy as Sampson -