Driden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

Today's generation of the Driden family inherits a name that was first used by the Scottish tribe known as the Picts. The first family to use the name Driden lived in the lands of Dryden, near Roslin in Forfar where the name is pronounced Drayden.

Early Origins of the Driden family

The surname Driden was first found in Forfarshire part of the Tayside region of North Eastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus. The first record of the name was "Philip de Dryden who was listed on a writ issued to the sheriff of Forfar in 1296. In 1329 payment was made to Henricus de Driden for behalf of the soul of King Robert and in compensation for loss of multure. Thomas de Driden is mentioned in 1455 as "supprior claustralis monasterii de Abirbrothoc', and in 1481 Laurence Dridane held a tenement in Stirling. The name is local. There is Dryden near Roslin, locally pronounced Drayden." 1

Some of the family ventures down into England in early times. "Blakesley Hall [in Blakesley, Northamptonshire] was anciently a religious house, occupied by a fraternity of the order of St. John of Jerusalem; and among a number of productive farms, is one of 200 acres, once the property of the Dryden family." 2

Early History of the Driden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Driden research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1306, 1329, 1455, 1481, 1521, 1631, 1668 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Driden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Driden Spelling Variations

Repeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. Driden has appeared Dryden, Driden, Dridane, Driedan, Drydan, Drydon, Drydun, Dridan, Driden, Dridun and many more.

Early Notables of the Driden family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was John Dryden (1631-1700), an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright from Thrapston, Northamptonshire, who was made Poet Laureate in 1668; Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He made many radical shifts in his religion and politics, he...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Driden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Driden migration to the United States +

Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Driden:

Driden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Driden, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 3
Mrs. Driden, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1860 3

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)