Show ContentsBarden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Barden

What does the name Barden mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Barden comes from when the family resided on a barley farm. Checking further we found the name was derived from the English word barton which originates in the two Old English words bere, which means barley, and tun, signifying an enclosure.

Early Origins of the Barden family

The surname Barden was first found in Cheshire at Barton, a township, in the parish of Farndon, union of Great Boughton, Higher division of the hundred of Broxton. "The manor [of Barton] was anciently held under the barony of Malpas by the family of Barton, some monuments of whom, with their effigies, were formerly to be seen in Farndon church." 1

Over in Barton-Upon-Irwell in Lancashire another branch of the family was found. "Barton Old Hall, a brick edifice, now a farmhouse, was the seat successively of the Barton, Booth, and Leigh families." 1

Bearton was the name of a small hamlet near Hitchin in Hertfordshire, but was amalgamated about 100 years ago to be known as Hitchin Bearton.

Early History of the Barden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barden research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1015, 1163, 1304, 1466, 1474, 1475, 1506, 1511, 1525, 1534, 1562, 1597, 1598, 1610, 1614, 1659, 1678, 1681, 1684, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Barden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barden Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Barden include Barton, Barten, Bartin and others.

Early Notables of the Barden family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Andrew Barton (1466-1511), High Admiral of the Kingdom of Scotland, but regarded by the English and Portuguese as a pirate. His "defeat by Sir Thomas and Sir Edward Howard is celebrated in the old ballad of 'Sir Andrew Barton,' was the son of John Barton, who is mentioned in the account of the chamberlain of Fife, 1474-1475, as master of the Yellow Carvel, subsequently rendered famous under Sir Andrew Wood. " 2Edward Barton (1562?-1597), was the second English ambassador sent to Constantinople, and was probably the second son of Edward Barton of...
Another 224 words (16 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barden Ranking

In the United States, the name Barden is the 4,405th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Barden family to Ireland

Some of the Barden family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Barden migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Barden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Nathaniel Barden, who landed in Connecticut in 1636 4
  • William Barden, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1638 4
  • John Barden, who landed in New England in 1647 4
  • Ann Barden, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 4
  • Jan Barden, who landed in Virginia in 1666 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Barden Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Claud Barden, who landed in Jamestown, Va in 1700 4
Barden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Barden, aged 30, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1845 4
  • J Peter Barden, aged 30, who landed in America in 1852 4
  • Johann Peter Barden, who arrived in America in 1852 4
  • Anna Maria Weinem Barden, who arrived in America in 1852 4
  • Anton Barden, who landed in Brazil in 1871 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Barden migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Barden Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Peter Barden U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1783 5

Barden migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Barden Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Eliza Barden, English convict who was convicted in Clerkenwell, London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Baretto Junior" on 5th April 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Patrick Barden, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Storm Cloud"

Barden 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:

Barden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Frederick Barden, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Barden (post 1700) +

  • William Barden Jr., American author of books and articles on computer programming
  • Lee Barden (b. 1960), American martial artist
  • Graham Arthur Barden (1896-1967), Democratic U.S. Congressman
  • Ramses Barden (b. 1986), American football wide receiver
  • Brian David Barden (b. 1981), American professional baseball infielder
  • Jessica Barden (b. 1992), English actress
  • Leonard William Barden (b. 1929), English chess master, columnist, author, and promoter
  • Gary John Barden (b. 1955), English singer-songwriter
  • Mr. Raymond Barden B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to the community in Pett, East Sussex 8
  • Paul Barden (b. 1980), Irish Gaelic footballer
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Barden 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: Fide et fortitudine
Motto Translation: By fidelity and fortitude.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. 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
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baretto-junior
  7. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  8. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 31 October 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1


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