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Foden History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Foden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Foden is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a god of Anglo Saxon origin. The surname Foden originally derived from the Old English word Odin, Fodin, or Voden. which referred to an ancient pagan god of the Saxons. Often nicknames described strong traits or attributes that people wished to emulate in a specific animal. In the pre-Christian era, many pagan gods and demigods were believed to be a mixture of animals and humans, such as the Greek god Pan who was the god of flocks and herds and was represented as a man with the legs, horns and ears of a goat.

Early Origins of the Foden family

The surname Foden was first found in Sussex where two early entries of the family were found: Thomas Foydn in 1296 and John Fodyn in 1327. Both were recorded in the Subsidy Rolls. 1

While these previous entries are the oldest, we must look to Cheshire as the stronghold for the family. Here they established Foden, now Foden Bank "in the township of Sutton, parish of Prestbury, Cheshire. This surname is well represented in Cheshire and Lancashire." 2

Early History of the Foden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foden research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1568, 1592 and 1613 are included under the topic Early Foden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foden Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Foden has undergone many spelling variations, including Foden, Fodon, Vodden, Voden and others.

Early Notables of the Foden family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Foden of Market Overton

Foden migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Foden were among those contributors:

Foden Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Foden, who settled in Maryland in 1726

Foden migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Foden Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Foden, British convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Mr. Edward Foden who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Mr. Jacob Foden, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st September 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Thomas Foden, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st September 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Jane Foden, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Taymouth Castle" 6

Foden migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Foden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Foden, aged 34, a labourer, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ambrosine" in 1860 7
Mary Ann Foden, aged 36, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ambrosine" in 1860 7
Mr. James Foden, (b. 1844), aged 19, British farm labourer travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Brothers Pride" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 7
Mr. William H. Foden, (b. 1856), aged 10, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 5th January 1867 7
Miss Mary Foden, (b. 1853), aged 13, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 5th January 1867 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Foden (post 1700) +

William Foden (1860-1947), American composer, musician, and teacher
Giles Foden (b. 1967), English author, best known for his novel The Last King of Scotland (1998)
Edward Edgar Foden (1913-1985), English marine engineer and inventor of the cargo hatch cover, lifeboat davits, and an escape hatch for submarines
Benjamin James "Ben" Foden (b. 1985), English rugby union player from Chester
Charles Foden (1868-1908), British silver medalist tug of war competitor at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Joe Foden (1918-1995), Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in 1942
Wendy Foden, South African conservation biologist
Edwin Foden (1841-1911), British truck maker who's great innovation was the development of a practical and highly efficient compound steam unit
William Foden, Secretary of State for Air
Air Marshall Arthur Foden,

Historic Events for the Foden family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Leslie J Foden (b. 1912), English Leading Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 8

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Robert Ernest Foden, English Waiter from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 9

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
South Australian Register Tuesday 26th June 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Taymouth Castle 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/taymouthcastle1855.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/