Maidens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The surname Maidens originally appeared in Gaelic as "Mac an Mhadaidh," which is probably derived from the word "madadh," which means "warrior, dog." 1

Another source claims the family claim descent through Owen Buac, brother of Owen Fionn, ancestor of O'Madadhain, of Connaught, slain, 1008; Anglicized O'Madden, Madden. The Madden family of Longford, County Galway, the O'Madden family of Balbriggan, County Dublin and the Madden family of Ulster are all branches of the original. 2

Alternatively, the name could have been from "descendant of little Matthew (gift of Jehovah.)" 3

Early Origins of the Maidens family

The surname Maidens was first found in County Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

We did find this interesting entry for the Mudrigan variant in the parish of St. Martin, Cornwall, England: "Although this parish contains no manor, Mudgian is said formerly to have had manorial rights, when it belonged to a family of this name, and was their seat. From the Mudgians it passed with an heiress in marriage to the Chynoweths." 4

Early History of the Maidens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maidens research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1347, 1556, 1567, 1677, 1713 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Maidens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maidens Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacAvaddy, Madden, O'Madden, Madigan, Macavadan and others.

Early Notables of the Maidens family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Maidens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maidens migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Maidens Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Maidens, (b. 1843), aged 21, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Glenmark" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1865 5

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html