Sitenhan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Sitenhan date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Sitenhan family lived in the parish of Sydenham found in the counties of Devon, Oxfordshire and Somerset. 1 2 These place-names were derived from the Old English terms sid meaning wide and hamm meaning water meadow. 3

Sitenhan 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. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Sitenhan were named due to their close proximity to the wide water meadow.

Early Origins of the Sitenhan family

The surname Sitenhan was first found in Northumberland where Ascelin de Sidenham was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1202. Later, Walter de Sydenham was found in the Feet of Fines for Oxford in 1284 and John Sydenham in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. Later again, Richards Sydenham was recorded in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1384. 4

Early Somerset records show John de Sydenham, 1 Edward; and Simon de Sidenham, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 5

Early History of the Sitenhan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sitenhan research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1224, 1418, 1429, 1431, 1438, 1615, 1620, 1624, 1628, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1654, 1661, 1669, 1671, 1676, 1679, 1689, 1696 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Sitenhan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sitenhan 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 Sitenhan 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. The variations of the name Sitenhan include: Sydenham, Sidenham, Sydenhame, Sidenhame and others.

Early Notables of the Sitenhan family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Simon Sydenham (died 1438), medieval Dean of Salisbury (1418-1431) and Bishop of Chichester (1429-1438); Sir John Sydenham, 1st Baronet of Brimpton, Somerset (c. 1620-1643); Sir John Sydenham, 2nd Baronet of Brimpton (1643-1696) Member of Parliament for Somerset (1669-1679); Sir Philip Sydenham, 3rd Baronet of Brimpton (c. 1676-1739) Member of Parliament for Ilchester; Sir Ralph Sydenham (died 1671), an English politician who...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sitenhan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sitenhan 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 Sitenhan or a variant listed above: Richard Sidenham, who arrived in Barbados in 1670; Mary Sydenham, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; William Sydenham, a servant sent to Virginia in 1674.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.