Edan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Edan is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the region of Eden in Durham. "Though the pedigree is not traced higher than the year 1413, there is no reason to doubt that the name is local and derived from either Castle Eden or Little Eden in the county of Durham, where, as Mr. Courthope asserts, the family were resident for several generations prior to the close of the XIV. century." 1

The source Norman People, pushes back earlier: "William de Torp or Torpes and his fief in Normandy are mentioned 1180 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae), he granted part of his lordship of Eden, Durham, to the Church of Durham before 1180. His descendant, Eustace de Eden, granted part of Eden to the same church 1318. Eustace and Utred de Edene were witnesses to the charter of William de Torp of Eden, being probably his younger brothers. The family appears to have always remained seated in Durham." 2

Early Origins of the Edan family

The surname Edan was first found in Suffolk. Hellaby Hall in Stainton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire was an ancient mansion on the property of Sir R. J. Eden, but is now a farmhouse. 3

Some of the family have recently branched to Windleston in Durham. "It comprises by computation 1250 acres, and has been long the property of the Eden family, of whom Sir Robert Johnson Eden, Bart., rebuilt Windleston Hall about twenty years since [(1860s.)] " 3

West Auckland in Durham also had some early records of the family. "The place gives the title of Baron to the family of Eden, who formerly resided here: the estates now belong to Sir R. J. Eden, Bart." 3

Let's take a moment to turn back the pages of time for this family and explore some of the early rolls. In Oxfordshire, we found Tomas filius Edon listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1203; Edon le Poleter in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1270; Roger Edun in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327; and Stephen Edoun in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. In Northumberland, Nicholas de Edune was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1178 and William de Eden was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1256. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 includes: Nicholas filius Edon, Norfolk; Roger filius Edon, Norfolk; Nel filius Edine, Oxfordshire; and Henry Edon, Oxfordshire. 5

Early History of the Edan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edan research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1270, 1521, 1535, 1544, 1546, 1576 and 1645 are included under the topic Early Edan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edan Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Edan family name include Eden, Edin, Edden, Edens and others.

Early Notables of the Edan family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Eden (1521?-1576), English translator, born in Herefordshire about 1521, and studied at Queens' College, Cambridge, 1535-1544, under Sir Thomas Smith; he held...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Edan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Edan family to Ireland

Some of the Edan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edan migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Edan surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Edan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Edan, who landed in Virginia in 1652 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Edan (post 1700) +

Edan Donald Everly (b. 1968), American guitarist, musician, singer songwriter, relative to the Everly Brothers

The Edan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Si sit prudentia
Motto Translation: If there be prudence.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)