Contents [hide]

Jourdain History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Jourdain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland
Scotland

Early Origins of the Jourdain family

The surname Jourdain was first found in Suffolk, where the name first appeared in the early 12th century. Like many surnames, the name Jourdain was taken from a common personal name at the time.

The personal name Jordan (and the female equivalent, Jordana) comes from the River Jordan; some knights and soldiers returning from the Crusades brought some of the water of the River Jordan back with them to baptize their children with and therefore gave the name to those children. 1 2 3

We should point out at this time that another reputable source disagrees with this etymology. "Not, as has been fancifully conjectured, from the river Jordan, in Crusading times, but from Jourdain, an early Norman baptismal name, probably corrupted from the Latin Hodiernus, which was a not uncommon personal name of the same period. It may be remarked that the names Jourdain and Hodierna, the feminine form, occur almost contemporaneously in the pedigree of Sackville." 4

"Jordan is a name established in many other parts of England besides the North and East Ridings, for instance, in Bucks, Derbyshire, Devonshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, etc. In the 13th century it was common as Jordan and Jurdan in Oxfordshire, and was also represented in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, etc. (H. R.). The Jordans of Enstone, Oxfordshire, have been resident in that parish since the 14th century (Jordan's "Enstone"). This surname is a form of Jourdain, an early Norman baptismal name." 5

In Scotland, "Jordan the Fleming was chancellor to David I in 1142-43, in a charter of Adam son of Swain, c. 1136-53. Jordan de Wodford, charter witness in Angus, c. 1170. Jordanus Brae granted a piece of land to the church of S. Mary and S. Kentigern of Lanark, c. 1214. Magister William Jordanus witnessed confirmation charter by Gilbert, bishop of Aberdeen between 1228-39." 6

Early History of the Jourdain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jourdain research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1182, 1202, 1327, 1561, 1569, 1603, 1609, 1610, 1611, 1612, 1613, 1619, 1623, 1624, 1625, 1627, 1628, 1632, 1640, 1650, 1685, 1687, 1691, 1698, 1707, 1770 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jourdain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jourdain Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Jourdain are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Jourdain include Jordan, Jordain, Jorden, Jordana, Jordens, Jordin, Jourdain, Jourdan and many more.

Early Notables of the Jourdain family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Joseph Jordan (1603-1685), vice-admiral, probably related to John Jourdain [q. v.], president of the English factories in the East Indies, slain there in June 1619. 7

Jourdain Ranking

In Quebec, Canada, the name Jourdain is the 910^th most popular surname. 8 However, in France, the name Jourdain is ranked the 417^th most popular surname with an estimated 10,210 people with that name. 9

Migration of the Jourdain family to Ireland

Some of the Jourdain family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 85 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jourdain migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Jourdain, or a variant listed above:

Jourdain Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Silvester Jourdain, from Dorset, who was aboard the ship "Sea Venture" who wrecked in Bermudas in 1609, they managed to build a new ship to continue to Jamestown in 1610. 10
Jean Jourdain, who landed in Maryland in 1666-1750 10

Jourdain Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Jourdain, age 58, who settled in Louisiana in 1719

Jourdain migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jourdain Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Mr. Charles Jourdain, (b. 1602), aged 40, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 16th April 1642 11
Guillaume Jourdain, son of Hilaire and Anne, who married Jeanne Constantin, daughter of Guillaume and Jeanne, in Quebec on 18th April 1678 12
Antoine Jourdain, son of Pierre and Antoinette, who married Marie-Anne Billy, daughter of Jean-François and Catherine-Marguerite, in Champlain, Quebec on 3rd June 1688 12
Joseph Jourdain, son of Claude and Marie, who married Madeleine Joubert, daughter of Jacques and Madeleine, in Lachine, Quebec on 30th May 1688 12
Denis Jourdain, son of Paul and Marie, who married Marie-Madeleine Fagot, daughter of Guillaume and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 6th November 1696 12

Jourdain Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Jourdain, son of Daniel and Marguerite, who married Anne Fontaine, daughter of Louis and Marie-Madeleine, in Quebec on 24th April 1702 12
Pierre Jourdain, son of Pierre and Catherine, who married Marie Crète, daughter of Jean and Marguerite, in Quebec on 9th January 1706 12
Guillaume-Alexandre Jourdain, son of Guillaume and Jeanne, who married Angélique Roy, daughter of Yves and Marie, in Montreal, Quebec on 24th November 1709 12
François Jourdain, son of Charles and Catherine, who married Geneviève Benoit, daughter of Etienne and Nicole, in Montreal, Quebec on 7th January 1712 12
Louis Jourdain, son of Jean and Michelle, who married Barbe Boucher, daughter of Pierre and Marie, in Lévis, Quebec on 8th February 1712 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Jourdain (post 1700) +

Theodore Jourdain, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Princeton, Virginia, 1839-40 13
Roger Jourdain, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1984 13
Kevin A. Jourdain (b. 1972), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 2004, 2008 13

The Jourdain Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Percussa Resurgo
Motto Translation: Struck down, I rise again

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html