Gardin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The story of the Gardin family begins in ancient Scotland among the Pictish clans. The Gardin family lived in the barony of Gardyne, which was in the parish of Kirkden in the county of Angus. The surname Gardin 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 Gardin family

The surname Gardin was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire.

"The name is now common in Arnbroath and neighborhood, and persons of the name have held lands in Aberdeen, Banff, and Perth for centuries. " 1

Some of the first on record include William Gardeyn of Angus and William du Gardyn of Edinburghshire who rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296. In the same year a writ was directed to the sheriff of Edinbergli in behalf of Henry de Gerdino. And later, Patrick Gardyne de eodem appears as witness in 1450. 1

Further to the south in England, William del Gardin was listed c. 1183 in Oxfordshire, William Gardin was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Huntingdonshire in 1220 and John atte Gardyne was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 2

"A branch of the Jardines settled in Kent, where they gave their name to their residence, Jardines, in the parish of Leybourne. The last owner, Thomas de Gardinis, died 2 Edward III., and left no sons. Another was seated in Somersetshire from the time of Henry III., whence Emeric de Gardino or Gordain acquired through his marriage some estates there." 3

Early History of the Gardin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gardin research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1574, 1585, 1609, 1634, 1649 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Gardin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gardin Spelling Variations

Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Gardin has appeared Garden, Gardine, Gardyne, Jardine, Gardin, Gardan, Gardane, Jarden, Jardyne, Jardene and many more.

Early Notables of the Gardin family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was George Garden (1649-1733), Scottish divine, a younger son of Alexander Garden, minister of Forgue in Aberdeenshire. 4Alexander Gardyne (1585?-1634?), Scotch poet, "an advocate in Aberdeen, was probably born about 1585, as he was master of arts before 1609, when he produced his ‘Garden of Grave and...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gardin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gardin Ranking

In the United States, the name Gardin is the 12,624^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5 However, in France, the name Gardin is ranked the 3,204^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Gardin family to Ireland

Some of the Gardin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gardin migration to the United States +

Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Gardin name:

Gardin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Gardin, who settled in Philadelphia in 1813
E B Gardin, who arrived in North America in 1832 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Gardin (post 1700) +

Harriet Gardin Fields, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from South Carolina, 1996

The Gardin 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: Cruciata cruce junguntur
Motto Translation: Crosses are joined to the cross.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)