The Okendon surname is thought to be a habitational name derived from any of several place names, such as Oxenden in Kent. These place names come from the Old English local description of the "valley of the oxen."
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Early Origins of the Okendon family
The surname Okendon was first found in Kent where they held a family seat. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1170 in Essex but Ailric Ockenden is thought to have been a branches of the old baronial family of Oxenden in Kent.
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Early History of the Okendon family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Okendon research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1455, 1487, 1607, 1614, 1620, 1645, 1651, 1660, 1661, 1669, 1686 and 1703 are included under the topic Early Okendon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Okendon Spelling Variations
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Okendon has been recorded under many different variations, including Oxenden, Ockenden, Okenden, Okendon, Oxendon, Oxenford, Wokenden, Ockendon and many more.
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Early Notables of the Okendon family
Distinguished members of the family include Sir Solomon Oxenden of Kent; Sir James Oxenden; and his son, Sir Henry Oxenden, 1st Baronet (1614-1686), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Winchelsea (1645); and his... Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Okendon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Okendon family
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Okendon or a variant listed above: Nelson Ockenden, who was on record in Oregon in 1850; as well as William Ockenden, who came to California in 1884.
England
