Higdind History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsHigdind is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the son of Richard. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time. Early Origins of the Higdind familyThe surname Higdind was first found in Worcestershire, and after sifting through archival materials, we found one of the first records of the distinguished name was found in Cheshire, where Ranulf Higdon (Higden) (1280-1364) was an English chronicler and Benedictine monk of the monastery of St. Werburgh. His exact birth location is unknown, but believed to be somewhere in the west of England. He is best remembered as the author of Polychronicon, a long chronicle originally written in Latin which became very popular in the 15th century after it was translated into English in the late 14th century. Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times, and in this case, the name was both a forename and a surname. As a forename, Higdon de Slyngesby, et uxor ejus, ad valorem militis, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 1 and as a surname, John Hikedun was found in the Hundredorum Rolls for Worcestershire in 1273. 1 Richard, son of Hykedon was listed in Cheshire in 1313, John Hikedun was found in Assize Rolls for Worcester in 1221 and later Thomas Hykedon. Hekedon was also found in the Subsidy Rolls for Cheshire in 1327. 2 Early History of the Higdind familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Higdind research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1364, 1379, 1495, 1505, 1533, 1539, 1640, 1682, 1684, 1688, 1693, 1715 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Higdind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Higdind Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Higdind has undergone many spelling variations, including Higdon, Higden, Hygdon, Hygden and others. Early Notables of the Higdind familyDistinguished members of the family include Henry Higden (fl. 1693), English poet and dramatist, a Yorkshireman, "a member of the Middle Temple. He is represented as a man of wit and the companion of all the choice spirits of the town. " 3
William Higden (d. 1715) was an English divine, matriculated sizar of King's College, Cambridge, on 5 April 1682 (University Matriculation Register), and graduated B.A. in 1684, M.A. in 1688. " After the revolution he refused to take the oaths, but eventually conformed, and published in defence of his conduct 'A View of the... Migration of the Higdind familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Higdind were among those contributors: Peter Higdon, who sailed to Massachusetts in 1635; Thomas Higden to Maryland in 1721; Benjamin Higdens settled at Trinity Bay Newfoundland in 1765; and George Higdon at Trinity Bay in 1831..
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