The name Gairdenor finds its origins with the ancient
Anglo-Saxons of
England. It was given to one who worked as a
gardener. The surname Gairdenor originally derived from the Old French word
gardinier. It was later adopted in
England after the
Norman Conquest of 1066.
Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Occupational names have remained fairly common in the modern period. This is attested to by the continuing appearance of
occupational suffixes at the end of many English surnames. Some of these suffixes include:
herd, monger, maker, hewer, smith, and wright. Similarly, surnames of office, which include military, judicial, papal and other positions of authority, are widespread throughout Europe. Those who were involved in the military, or
feudal armies, were given names such as the English surname
Archer, the French name
Chevalier and the German name
Jeger, which means
hunter. Names that were derived from judicial and papal titles, such as
Bailiffe, Squire and
Abbott, are still commonly seen with the same surname spelling today.
Early Origins of the Gairdenor family
The surname Gairdenor was first found in
Oxfordshire where they held a
family seat from very early times. Early records show William le Gardinier in county Rutland in 1199; William Gardin, listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of
Huntingdon in 1218, John
atte Gardyne, listed in the
Subsidy Rolls of
Sussex in 1296; and Walter le Gardiner listed in the
Subsidy Rolls for London in 1292.
Early History of the Gairdenor family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gairdenor research.
Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1300, 1370, 1426, 1454, 1545, 1493, 1555, 1531, 1478, 1591, 1662, 1640, 1592, 1674, 1624, 1599, 1663, 1635, 1637, 1705, 1695, 1705, 1604 and are included under the topic Early Gairdenor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gairdenor Spelling Variations
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,
spelling variations are common among early
Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Gairdenor has been recorded under many different variations, including Gardiner, Gardner and others.
Early Notables of the Gairdenor family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Stephen Gardiner (c.1493-1555), English prelate, who was made Bishop of Winchester (1531); Richard Gardyner, Lord Mayor of London in 1478; Thomas Gardiner (1591-1662), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640, supporter of the Royalist cause in...
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gairdenor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Gairdenor family to Ireland
Some of the Gairdenor family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 187 words (13 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 Gairdenor family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded
England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Gairdenor or a variant listed above: Lyon Gardiner who settled in Saybrook, Long Island, after sailing in his 25 ton ketch called "Bachelor" in 1633. He purchased the island from the Indians, and this famous island was first known as Gardiner's Island. His daughter, Mary, was the first white person born on Long Island. Christopher Gardiner, came to New
England in 1630.