Judson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Judson surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from the names Judd and Jutt, which are pet forms of the personal name Jordan. These names are derived from Jurd, a common abbreviation of Jordan, and feature the common interchange of voiced and voiceless final consonants. 1
Early Origins of the Judson family
The surname Judson was first found in Herefordshire where John Judde was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1204. Alan and John Jutte wqere listed in the Assize Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1260.
As a forename the first entry was Judde Rampe who was found in the Assize Rolls of 1246. This custom continued as Judde Clubbe was found in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1260 and Judde de Halifax was found in Yorkshire in 1309. 1
The Judson variant was generally found later as in John Judson in Yorkshire in 1324 and Henry Juddessone in Cheshire in 1370. Again, this variant literally means "son of Judd or Jutt. " 1
"Hampshire is at present the home of the Judds, but there are a few of the name in the adjacent county of Wiltshire. In the 13th century Jud was a name well represented in Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire." 2
"Most of the Judsons, both in England and America, trace their origin to the neighbourhood of Leeds, and the surname is still common in Yorkshire." 3
Up north in Scotland, "Thomas Judison, and other Scottish merchants complained that their vessel was captured and sunk by the English during a truce, 1359. Andrew Yutsoun was provost of Edinburgh, 187." 4
Early History of the Judson family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Judson research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1204, 1424, 1531, 1550, 1577, 1592, 1619, 1634, 1659, 1662 and 1690 are included under the topic Early Judson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Judson 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 Judson 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 Judson include: Judd, Judson and others.
Early Notables of the Judson family
Distinguished members of the family include
- Joseph Judson (born 1619-1690), English-born, Connecticut settler, local official and militia officer. He was born in Kirkbymoorside, Yorkshire, to William Judson (c. 1592-1662) and Grace (d. 1659). I...
Judson Ranking
In the United States, the name Judson is the 9,226th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5
Judson migration to the United States +
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 Judson or a variant listed above:
Judson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- William Judson, who landed in Massachusetts in 1634 6
- John Judson, who landed in Virginia in 1637 6
Judson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Robert Judson, who arrived in America in 1819 6
- Col. Judson, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1822 6
- B Judson, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 6
- A Judson, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
- Ann Judson, aged 37, who landed in New York in 1854 6
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Judson migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Judson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. William Christopher Judson U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
- Mr. William Judson U.E., "Jetson" who settled in Canada c. 1784 7
Judson migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Judson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Judson, (b. 1804), aged 17, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Judson migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Judson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. Mark Judson, (b. 1836), aged 22, British bricklayer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1858 9
- Miss Ann Judson, (b. 1837), aged 21, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1858 9
Contemporary Notables of the name Judson (post 1700) +
- Howard Kolls "Howie" Judson (1925-2020), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1948 to 1954
- Adoniram Judson Jr. (1788-1850), American Baptist missionary
- Whitcomb L. Judson (1844-1909), American machine salesman, mechanical engineer and inventor of the zip fastener
- Olivia Judson (b. 1970), American evolutionary biologist and science writer
- Horace Freeland Judson (1931-2011), American historian of molecular biology
- Edward Judson (1844-1914), American Baptist clergyman
- Arthur Judson (1881-1975), American orchestra manager of the New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra
- David C. Judson, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from St. Lawrence County, 1817-18; Member of New York State Senate Eastern District, 1821-22 10
- David B. Judson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 19th District, 1872 10
- Charles A. Judson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1908 10
- ... (Another 36 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Judson family +
- Mr. Frederick Sheldon Judson, American 2nd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 11
Citations +
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/