Radding History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Radding is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the village of Reading found in the county of Berkshire. 1 2 3 The surname Radding is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English word rydding which simply refers to an area that has been cleared. 4

"This place is unquestionably of great antiquity, but whether it owes its foundation to the Romans or to the Saxons is a matter involved in great doubt. Its name rather tends to strengthen the supposition that its origin is to be attributed to the latter people, the term Reading being most probably derived from the Saxon words Rhea, 'a river' or 'an overflowing,' and Ing, 'a meadow.' "5

Early Origins of the Radding family

The surname Radding was first found in Sussex. Some of the earliest records of the surname were: Robert de Reading (died 1325), English historian and a monk of Westminster; and John of Reading (Latin: Johannes de Reading, Johannes Radingia) who died 1346. He was an English Franciscan theologian and scholastic philosopher and follower of Duns Scotus. He wrote a commentary on the Four Books of Sentences written by Peter Lombard around 1320, at the University of Oxford. In 1322, he accepted a teaching position at Avignon and it was there that he died.

Early rolls proved the widespread use of the the name with various spellings: Grifin del Ruding in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1246; Richard del Ryding at Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1227 and Sara de Redyngg in Colchester, Essex in 1311. 4

Early Norfolk records show Henry de Reding was Rector of Matlask, Norfolk in 1305; and John de Reding was Rector of Aldeburgh, Norfolk in 1328. 6

"The Readings, who have their principal home in this county, being also now found in Bucks and Oxfordshire, are probably the modern representatives of the Rædings, a Saxon Clan, that gave their name to their settlements in Derbyshire and in the eastern counties." 7

Early History of the Radding family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Radding research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1621, 1645, 1667, 1674, 1677, 1686, 1692, 1714, 1744, 1747, 1748, 1757, 1758 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Radding History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Radding Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Radding are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. 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. The variations of the name Radding include: Reading, Reding, Redding, Reddin and others.

Early Notables of the Radding family

Distinguished members of the family include John Reading (1588-1667), English Calvinist and Biblical commentator; Sir James Reading; John Reading (c.1645-1692), English composer and organist, Choir master of Chichester Cathedral (1674-1677); and...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Radding Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Radding family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Radding or a variant listed above: Henry Readding, James Readding, Jeremy Readding and Richard Readding, who all arrived in Virginia in 1634; Miles and Joseph Reading, who came to Salem in 1630.

Contemporary Notables of the name Radding (post 1700) +

Eugene Radding, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from California 20th District, 1954 8
Barbara Radding Morgan (b. 1951), American former NASA astronaut with over 305 hours in space 9

The Radding 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: Dieu defende la droit
Motto Translation: God defends the right.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Barbara Morgan. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morgan.html