Herndon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Herndon comes from the family having resided in the village of Harrowden in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.

Early Origins of the Herndon family

The surname Herndon was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Harrowden is a one-street hamlet in Bedfordshire. Great Harrowden and Little Harrowden are parishes and villages in Northamptonshire that date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where collectively they were known as Hargedone. 1 The place name literally means "hill of the heathen shrines or temples," from the Old English words "hearg" + "dun." 2 Ironically "Little" Harrowden has more inhabitants that "Great" Harroweden and that has been the case for more than 100 years. In the 15th century the manors of Great and Little Harrowden were held by Sir William Vaux who was slain at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. Great Harrowden Hall was built between 1716 and 1719. The All Saints Church dates back to Norman times and is famous for its medieval Doom (painting.) There is also a brass to William Harrowden from the 16th century located there.

Early History of the Herndon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herndon research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1086 and 1756 are included under the topic Early Herndon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herndon Spelling Variations

Herndon has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Harraden, Harradine, Haridine, Harridine, Horoden, Harnden, Herndon and many more.

Early Notables of the Herndon family

More information is included under the topic Early Herndon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herndon Ranking

In the United States, the name Herndon is the 1,849^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 3

Herndon migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Herndons to arrive on North American shores:

Herndon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Herndon, who landed in Virginia in 1673-1674 4

Herndon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William L Herndon, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
Mrs. Herndon, aged 50, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
Parker Herndon, aged 22, who settled in America, in 1896
Cumb. G. Herndon, aged 46, who settled in America from Liverpool, in 1897

Herndon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Richard T. Herndon, aged 19, who landed in America, in 1909
Hunter Herndon, aged 8, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
Maude Herndon, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1910
Robert Joseph Herndon, aged 52, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Edward L. Herndon, aged 47, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Herndon (post 1700) +

Alonzo Franklin Herndon (1858-1927), American businessman, founder and president of the Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company
William Smith Herndon (1835-1903), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Texas 1st District, 1871-75; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1876 5
Thomas Hord Herndon (1828-1883), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Representative from Alabama in the Confederate Congress 5th District, 1861; Member of Alabama State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Alabama 1st District, 1879-83 5
Richard Herndon, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for West Virginia, 1984 5
Robin C. Herndon, American politician, Mayor of Mobile, Alabama, 1943-44, 1946-47 5
Pamelya Herndon, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 2008; Presidential Elector for New Mexico, 2012 5
Milton T. Herndon, American politician, Mayor of Huntington, West Virginia, 1971 5
Judith A. Herndon (1941-1980), American Republican politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Ohio County, 1970-74; Appointed 1970; Member of West Virginia State Senate 1st District, 1974-80 5
John G. Herndon, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona Territory, 1888 (member, Resolutions Committee); Member of Democratic National Committee from Arizona Territory, 1888 5
John Walker Herndon, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Georgia, 1948 5
... (Another 22 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Herndon family +

Monongah Mine

Mr. E. V. Herndon (b. 1854), Italian coal miner who was in mine 8 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 6

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).