First found in Buckinghamshire where they were descended from Bertram de Verdun, a Norman baronial name from Verdun, near Avranches in Normandy, where they were descended form the Counts of Verdun, and came to England in 1066 and was granted Farnham Royal in that shire. Tradition has it that on the day of the Coronation of William I, he provided a glove for the King's right hand. In 1095 he served as Sheriff of York.

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Verdons were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Richard Verdin settled in Virginia in 1655; Richard Verdan settled in Philadelphia in 1872.

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