Corden Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Corden is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a maker or purveyor of cord or ribbon. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old French word corde, which means cord.

Corden Early Origins

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The surname Corden was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. Robert Corduan held a family seat in that shire in 1221. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time.

Corden Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Corden has been recorded under many different variations, including Cordon, Cordin, Corden, Cordwin, Cording, Cordwane, Cordwaner, Cordiner, Cordwent, Cordner, Cordiner, Cordwiner, Cordwinner, Cordwainer and many more.

Corden Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Corden research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the year 1327 is included under the topic Early Corden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corden Early Notables (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Corden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Corden In Ireland

Some of the Corden family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Cordens were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Corden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jane Corden, who arrived in Maryland in 1665
Jane Corden, who landed in Maryland in 1665 ^[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)

Corden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

S. Corden who sailed to Norfolk in 1822

Contemporary Notables of the name Corden (post 1700)

Charles Frederic Corden (1874-1924), English cricketer
Henry Corden (1920-2005), Canadian actor

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Citations

^ Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
^ 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)

Other References

Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
MacAulay, Thomas Babington. History of England from the Accession of James the Second 4 volumes. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1879. Print.
Chadwick, Nora Kershaw and J.X.W.P Corcoran. The Celts. London: Penguin, 1790. Print. (ISBN 0140212116).
Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
Mills, A.D. Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4).
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
Papworth, J.W and A.W Morant. Ordinary of British Armorials. London: T.Richards, 1874. Print.
Cook, Chris. English Historical Facts 1603-1688. London: MacMillan, 1980. Print.
Robb H. Amanda and Andrew Chesler. Encyclopedia of American Family Names. New York: Haper Collins, 1995. Print. (ISBN 0-06-270075-8).
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The Corden Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Corden 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 12 April 2015 at 11:50.