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Ardern History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Ardern History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Ardern name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in Ardern in the county of Warwick. The interpretation of the name, however, varies depending on the county of origin. In Cheshire, Kent and Hampshire, the name assumes the local meaning of dwelling-house, and in Yorkshire, it has the curious meaning of eagle valley or gravel valley.

Early Origins of the Ardern family

The surname Ardern was first found in the county of Warwickshire, from very ancient times, when Hugh de Arden recovered some of his family's lost estates after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Henry de Arden, his successor, about 1130 A.D. held five knights' fees from the Norman Earl of Warwick. This line can be traced to the present family seat at Longcroft Hall in Staffordshire.

"No family can claim a more noble origin that the house of Ardern, descended in the male line from the Saxon Earls of Warwick before the Conquest. The name of Arden was assumed from the Woodlands of Arden, in the North of Warwickshire, by Siward de Arden, in the reign of Henry I." 1

"The priory of Shulbrede, about half a mile from the church, in a sequestered spot, was founded by Ralph de Arderne, about the beginning of the reign of Henry III., for five canons of the order of St. Augustine." 2

John Arderne (1307-1392) was arguably England's first surgeon and one of the first of his time to devise workable cures. He hailed from Newark-on-Trent, Nottingham but moved to London where he is thought to have been admitted as a member of the Guild of Surgeons.

Early History of the Ardern family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ardern research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1307, 1392, 1452, 1523, 1537, 1542, 1545, 1558, 1563, 1570, 1583, 1608, 1636, 1691 and 1843 are included under the topic Early Ardern History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ardern Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ardern include Ardern, Arden, Arderne, Adron, Harden, Ardin and many more.

Early Notables of the Ardern family

Notables of the family at this time include

John Arderne (1307-1392), an English surgeon and one of the first of his time to devise workable cures. Some describe him as England's first surgeon. Robert Arden was executed in 1452 for supporting t...
Mary Arden, (c. 1537-1608), was the mother of William Shakespeare; Lawrence Ardren, Ardran or Ardern (c.1523-1570), of Chichester, Sussex, was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Chicheste...

Ardern migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ardern or a variant listed above:

Ardern Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Ardern, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1758
Robert Ardern, who landed in America in 1758

Ardern Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Ardern, who immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1846

Ardern migration to Australia +

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

Ardern Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Ardern, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1849 3

Ardern 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:

Ardern Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Giles Ardern, aged 32, a gardener, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
Elizabeth Ellen Ardern, aged 31, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
Georgiana Ardern, aged 8, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
Charles Lear Ardern, aged 7, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
Mary Jane Ardern, aged 5, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lauderdale" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ardern (post 1700) +

Frank Ardern, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1912 4
Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern (b. 1980), New Zealand politician, Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Labour Party List (2008-), 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017-2023)
David Ross Ardern, New Zealand diplomat and former police officer, High Commissioner of New Zealand to Niue
Ian Sidney Ardern (b. 1954), New Zealand general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2011-)
Philip Shane Ardern (b. 1960), New Zealand politician, Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Taranaki-King Country (1998-2014)
Barry Ardern (b. 1946), Canadian defensive back in the Canadian Football League; he won the Grey Cup three times

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Navarino.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html