Show ContentsHiddend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Hiddend was brought to England in the great wave of migration following 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 Hiddend family

The surname Hiddend 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 Hiddend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hiddend research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hiddend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hiddend Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Iddon, Idon, Iden, Idens, Iddin, Iddins, Hidden and many more.

Early Notables of the Hiddend family

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

Migration of the Hiddend family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Hiddend or a variant listed above were: 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.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital


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