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.Early Origins of the Corden family
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,
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time.
Early History of the Corden family
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 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.
Early Notables of the Corden family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Corden Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Corden family to 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.
Migration of the Corden family to the New World and Oceana
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