Heddan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Heddan is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in the village of Haddon which was in a number of places including Derbyshire, Dorset, Northampton and Roxburgh in Scotland. There is also a place called Hadden Hill in the county of Stafford.

We found this entry for the East Haddon, Northamptonshire: "This place is mentioned in Domesday Book under the names Eddone and Hadone; it then belonged to the Earl of Morton, and among the families who have subsequently held the lands, may be named the family of St. Andrew, of whom notice occurs in the reign of Edward I." 1

This place-name was originally derived from two Old English words Haeth, which means a heath, and dun which literally means a hill. Therefore the original bearers of the surname Heddan resided near or on a heather-covered hill. 2

Early Origins of the Heddan family

The surname Heddan was first found in Derbyshire, at either Nether Haddon or Over Haddon, both small villages. Looking back further, we found William Hadon listed in Normandy, France in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae (1180.) 3

Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye at Bakewell, Derbyshire that dates back to the 11th century when William Peverel, illegitimate son of William the Conqueror, held the manor of Nether Haddon in 1087.

A search through early rolls revealed: Ailwin de Haddun in the Pipe Rolls of 1159; Philip de Haddon in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1267; John de Hadden in Northumberland in 1323; and Thomas Haddun in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

"Haddon is the name of parishes in the neighbouring counties of Northampton and Huntingdonshire, in the former of which the surname also occurs. In the 13th century it was a common surname in Huntingdonshire and Oxfordshire." 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had three listings for the family: Robert de Hadden, Oxfordshire; Agnes de Haddon, Oxfordshire; and Jordan de Haddone, Huntingdonshire. 6

To the north in Scotland, entries were quite a bit later: "Adam Haddane of Dolphington appears in 1679 (Lanark CR.), and Alexander Haddin was married in Edinburgh, 1696. A family named Hadden was long identified with the history of Aberdeenshire." 7

Early History of the Heddan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heddan research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1159, 1515, 1556, 1572, 1680, 1762 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Heddan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heddan Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Heddan were recorded, including Haddon, Hadden, Haddan, Haddin and others.

Early Notables of the Heddan family

Distinguished members of the family include James Haddon (fl. 1556), an English reforming divine and his brother, Walter Haddon LL.D. (1515-1572), an English civil lawyer, much involved in church and university affairs under Edward...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heddan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heddan family to Ireland

Some of the Heddan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heddan family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Heddan family emigrate to North America: James Hadden in Maryland in 1697 and later moved to Virginia; John Haddin arrived in Philadelphia in 1848; John and Margaret Haddon settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)