Reardan Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland

The name Reardan has changed considerably in the time that has passed since its genesis. It originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Riordain. The original form of the surname was Ó Rioghbhardain, which was originally derived from the words "riogh bhard," meaning "royal bard."

Early Origins of the Reardan family

The surname Reardan was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster.

Early History of the Reardan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reardan research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Reardan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reardan Spelling Variations

The spelling of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was rarely consistent. This inconsistency was due to the scribes and church officials' attempts to record orally defined names in writing. The common practice of recording names as they sounded resulted in spelling variations such as O'Riordan, Riordan, O'Rearden, Rearden and others.

Early Notables of the Reardan family

More information is included under the topic Early Reardan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reardan migration to the United States +

Irish families began to immigrate to British North America and the United States in the 18th century, but the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. The earlier settlers came to North America after a great deal of consideration and by paying relatively high fees for their passage. These settlers were primarily drawn by the promise of land. Those later settlers that came during the 1840's were trying to escape the conditions of poverty, starvation, disease, and death that had stricken Ireland. Due to the enormity of their numbers and the late date of their arrival, these immigrants primarily became hired laborers instead of homesteading settlers like their predecessors. An exhaustive search of immigration and passenger lists has revealed many Irish immigrants North America bearing the name Reardan:

Reardan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Reardan, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1854 1

Reardan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Reardan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Reardan, aged 29, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Maria" from Cork, Ireland

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)