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![Show Contents]() Hiddan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Hiddan was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old Norman female personal name Idunn, which is thought to be composed of the elements idja, which means to work or perform, and unna, which means to love. While most surnames adapted from personal names descend through patronymic lineage, the name Iddon is a relatively rare case of a metronymic name. While patronymic lineage was traditional in Norman society, in cases such as when a man had a second family and wished to distinguish between the two groups the children may have adopted the name of the mother. Early Origins of the Hiddan familyThe surname Hiddan was first found in Sussex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Iden. The village of Iden appeared in the Domesday Book, 1 a census taken by Duke William of Normandy in 1086 after his conquest of England in 1066 A.D. At this time the village was held by Geoffrey and Leofwin from the Count of Eu, the tenant-in-chief. Conjecturally this family name is descended from one of those Norman nobles. The village, originally spelt 'Idene' is the name of a Norse goddess. From about the 16th century the name was more popularly spelt Iddon. In Hemyock, Devon, we found this interesting passage: "The Hidons built a castle here, of which there are yet important remains, including the main gateway and its towers, and part of the general cincture. It is an edifice of great strength, and of some peculiar characteristics Early Edwardian in general character ; but of its history absolutely nothing seems to be known, save that it was garrisoned by the Roundheads, and used by them as a prison." 2 Early History of the Hiddan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hiddan research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hiddan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hiddan Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Iddon, Idon, Iden, Idens, Iddin, Iddins, Hidden and many more. Early Notables of the Hiddan familyMore information is included under the topic Early Hiddan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Hiddan familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Hiddan name or one of its variants: E. Hidden who settled in New York State in 1823; Sarah Hiden settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1764; Frederick Iddins settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1837.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
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