HALL. A manor house. In medieval documents, Atte Halle, Del Hall, De Aula, &c. The principal apartment in all old mansions was the hall, and in feudal times it was a petty court of justice as well as the scene of entertainment. The chief servitor when the lord was resident, or the tenant Avhen he was non-resident, would uatui-ally acquire such a surname ; and hence its frequency. Nearly oOO traders so called appear in the Loud. Direct.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.