Duckworde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Duckworde family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the settlement of Duckworth in the county of Lancashire. 1 The surname Duckworde belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Duckworde family

The surname Duckworde was first found in Cambridgeshire where one of the earliest records is of Hugo de Duckworth in 1216 who was listed in the Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus (p. 587) and his descendant Sire John Duckworth was summoned to a great council of Westminster in 1324. 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Henricus de Dukeworth and Johannes Dukeworth as holding lands there at that time. 1

Early History of the Duckworde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duckworde research. Another 191 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1310, 1379, 1647, 1648 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Duckworde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duckworde 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 Duckworde include Duckworth, Dykeward, Duckword, Duckward, Duckwort, Duckwart, Dickworth, Dickward, Dickword and many more.

Early Notables of the Duckworde family

Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Duckworde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Duckworde family

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 Duckworde or a variant listed above: J. Duckworth who settled in New Orleans in 1823; J. Duckworth settled in New York in 1823; H. Duckworth settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1852.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)