Edlin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Edlin is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It was a name given to a soldier. The surname Edlin literally means noble protector. The name was derived from the Old English adel helm which literally means "eagle shield." 1

Another source claims the name was "from adel, meaning fine, noble, and ham, meaning a village or castle. " 2

Early Origins of the Edlin family

The surname Edlin was first found in the county of Somerset in south western England where, it is said the family had been settled centuries before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Edlin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Edlin research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1631, 1659, 1677, 1750 and 1823 are included under the topic Early Edlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Edlin Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Edlin include Headlam, Adhelm, Eadhelm, Adelhelm, Addlam, Adlum, Adlam and many more.

Early Notables of the Edlin family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Richard Edlin or Edlyn (1631-1677), was an English astrologer. He was born 29 Sept. 1631 and was practising in June 1659 what he terms his 'noble science.' 3

Migration of the Edlin family to Ireland

Some of the Edlin 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.

Edlin migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Edlin were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Edlin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Edlin, who arrived in America in 1760-1763 4

Edlin 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:

Edlin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Edlin, (b. 1856), aged Infant, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 5
Mrs. Anne Edlin, (b. 1828), aged 28, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 5
Mr. George Edlin, (b. 1831), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 5
Mr. Joseph Edlin, (b. 1852), aged 4, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 5
Miss Harriet Edlin, (b. 1854), aged 2, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Edlin (post 1700) +

William Edlin, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 11th District, 1933, 1934, 1935 6
Joseph Edlin, American politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Danbury, 1910 6
Handley H. Edlin, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Kentucky State House of Representatives 24th District, 1975 6

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html