Aldan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Spain

Early Origins of the Aldan family

The surname Aldan was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 11th century when Aldenus held estates in that county. They may have been of Cumbrian extraction. The Dalden variant has a most interesting history found in Dawdon or Dawden, Durham. "There was once a castle or peel here, which in the first ages after the Conquest was the seat of the family of Escolland, who, it seems, afterwards assumed the name of Dalden, by which term this place was formerly designated, It was also for two centuries a favourite seat of the family of Bowes. A domestic chapel was attached to the structure, as Sir Jordan de Dalden, in 1325, obtained a licence to establish an oratory within his manor-house, on condition that no injury should arise to the parochial church of Dalton." 1

Early History of the Aldan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aldan research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1109, 1455, 1487, 1504, 1510, 1599, 1600, 1602, 1622, 1623, 1680, 1687, 1701 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Aldan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aldan Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Aldan are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Aldan include: Alden, Aldin, Aldwen, Aldyn, Aldwyn, Aldwen, Elden, Eldwyn, Eldwin, Eldin, Olden, Auden, Aldan, Aldon and many more.

Early Notables of the Aldan family

Distinguished members of the family include John, C. Alden (1599-1687) was a crew member of the Mayflower and one of the Puritan settlers of the Plymouth Colony. He arrived in America where he became an assistant to the Governor of the colony. He married Priscilla Alden (c. 1602-1680) (née Mullins or Mullens), on May 12, 1622. She was another passenger on...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Aldan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aldan migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Aldan or a variant listed above:

Aldan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Aldan, aged 17, who arrived in Bermuda in 1635 2

Aldan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Diego Aldan, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1846 2

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)