Abdon Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The Abdon surname is thought to be derived from one of several place names in West Yorkshire. The place names come from the Old English "heope," or "(rose) hip," and "denu," which meant "valley."

Abdon Early Origins

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The surname Abdon was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from early times. In 1120 the manor of Hebden was granted by Roger de Mowbray to Uctred de Hebden, who was a descendant of Uctred, Earl of Northumberland.

Abdon Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Abdon include Hebden, Hebdon, Heberden, Hepden, Habton, Habdon, Hibdon, Hibden, Ebdon and many more.

Abdon Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Abdon research. Another 295 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1220, 1612 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Abdon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Abdon Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Abdon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Abdon or a variant listed above: John Ebden who settled in Barbados in 1670; Thomas Ebdon settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1716; Thomas Hebden settled in Virginia in 1634; John Hebden settled in Virginia in 1651..

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: Re e merito
Motto Translation: This through merit.

Abdon Family Crest Products

Citations

Other References

MacAulay, Thomas Babington. History of England from the Accession of James the Second 4 volumes. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1879. Print.
Holt, J.C. Ed. Domesday Studies. Woodbridge: Boydell, 1987. Print. (ISBN 0-85115-477-8).
Sanders, Joanne McRee Edition. English Settlers in Barbados 1637-1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
Reaney P.H and R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X).
Thirsk, Joan. The Agrarian History of England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 7 Volumes. Print.
Robb H. Amanda and Andrew Chesler. Encyclopedia of American Family Names. New York: Haper Collins, 1995. Print. (ISBN 0-06-270075-8).
Markale, J. Celtic Civilization. London: Gordon & Cremonesi, 1976. Print.
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The Abdon Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Abdon Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 26 February 2016 at 09:53.