Show ContentsLydon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Lydon family

The surname Lydon was first found in Liddane, where they held a family seat as Chiefs in Tipperary. Irish history was greatly influenced by the Norman invasion of 1172, and thereafter, the surnames of Irish Gaelic clanns and septs and many of the Norman families became almost indistinguishable.

Early History of the Lydon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lydon research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lydon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lydon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Liddane, Leyden, Lidane, Lydon, Fenessey, O'Fennessy, Litany, Littany, Lyden, Lydan, Leyden, Finnessy, Finnessy and many more.

Early Notables of the Lydon family

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

Lydon Ranking

In the United States, the name Lydon is the 8,275th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Lydon migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lydon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Lydon, who landed in Arkansas in 1876 2
Lydon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • John Lydon, aged 53, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England 3
  • Patrick Lydon, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Pollux" from Caibarien, Cuba 3
  • Peter Lydon, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Phidias" from Liverpool, England 3
  • Patrick Joseph Lydon, aged 20, originally from Ireland, Galway, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 3
  • Peter Lydon, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Phidias" from Buenos Aires, Argentina 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Lydon 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:

Lydon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Michael Lydon, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 4
  • Martin Lydon, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1879

Contemporary Notables of the name Lydon (post 1700) +

  • James J. Lydon (1923-2022), American actor and television producer whose career began as a teenager during the 1930s
  • William A. Lydon (1863-1918), American founder of the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company
  • Wayne Lydon (b. 1981), American professional baseball outfielder
  • Joseph Patrick Lydon (1878-1937), American sliver and bronze Olympic medalist for welterweight boxing and football at the 1904 games 5
  • Joe Lydon (1878-1937), American welterweight boxer
  • Jimmy Lydon (b. 1923), American movie actor and television producer
  • Christopher Lydon (b. 1940), American media personality and author
  • Alexandra Lydon (b. 1979), Irish and American television actress
  • William R. Lydon, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 18th District, 1944 6
  • Thomas E. Lydon Jr., American politician, U.S. Attorney for South Carolina, 1977-81 6
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Monongah Mine
  • Mr. Timothy Lydon (b. 1869), Italian coal miner who was in mine 6 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 7


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. Athletes - Famous Olympic Athletes, Medalists, Sports Heroes. (Retrieved 2011, April 13) Joseph Lydon. Retrieved from http://www.olympic.org/content/olympic-athletes/generic-athlete-page/?athleteid=57464
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).


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