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![Show Contents]() Wokenden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The Wokenden 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." Early Origins of the Wokenden familyThe surname Wokenden 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. Early History of the Wokenden familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wokenden 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 Wokenden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wokenden Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Wokenden has appeared include Oxenden, Ockenden, Okenden, Okendon, Oxendon, Oxenford, Wokenden, Ockendon and many more. Early Notables of the Wokenden familyDistinguished 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 Wokenden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wokenden familyAt this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Wokenden arrived in North America very early: Nelson Ockenden, who was on record in Oregon in 1850; as well as William Ockenden, who came to California in 1884.
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