Show ContentsHaddon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Haddon is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the village of Haddon which was in a number of places including Derbyshire, Dorset, Northampton and Roxburgh in Scotland. There is also a place called Hadden Hill in the county of Stafford.

We found this entry for the East Haddon, Northamptonshire: "This place is mentioned in Domesday Book under the names Eddone and Hadone; it then belonged to the Earl of Morton, and among the families who have subsequently held the lands, may be named the family of St. Andrew, of whom notice occurs in the reign of Edward I." 1

This place-name was originally derived from two Old English words Haeth, which means a heath, and dun which literally means a hill. Therefore the original bearers of the surname Haddon resided near or on a heather-covered hill. 2

Early Origins of the Haddon family

The surname Haddon was first found in Derbyshire, at either Nether Haddon or Over Haddon, both small villages. Looking back further, we found William Hadon listed in Normandy, France in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae (1180.) 3

Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye at Bakewell, Derbyshire that dates back to the 11th century when William Peverel, illegitimate son of William the Conqueror, held the manor of Nether Haddon in 1087.

A search through early rolls revealed: Ailwin de Haddun in the Pipe Rolls of 1159; Philip de Haddon in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1267; John de Hadden in Northumberland in 1323; and Thomas Haddun in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

"Haddon is the name of parishes in the neighbouring counties of Northampton and Huntingdonshire, in the former of which the surname also occurs. In the 13th century it was a common surname in Huntingdonshire and Oxfordshire." 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had three listings for the family: Robert de Hadden, Oxfordshire; Agnes de Haddon, Oxfordshire; and Jordan de Haddone, Huntingdonshire. 6

To the north in Scotland, entries were quite a bit later: "Adam Haddane of Dolphington appears in 1679 (Lanark CR.), and Alexander Haddin was married in Edinburgh, 1696. A family named Hadden was long identified with the history of Aberdeenshire." 7

Early History of the Haddon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Haddon research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1159, 1515, 1556, 1572, 1680, 1762 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Haddon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Haddon Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Haddon has been spelled many different ways, including Haddon, Hadden, Haddan, Haddin and others.

Early Notables of the Haddon family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • James Haddon (fl. 1556), an English reforming divine and his brother, Walter Haddon LL.D. (1515-1572), an English civil lawyer, much involved in church and university affairs under Edward VI, Queen Ma...
  • Elizabeth Haddon (1680-1762), born in Southwark, London, England, he was the founder of Haddon Township and Haddonfield, New Jersey in the United States

Migration of the Haddon family to Ireland

Some of the Haddon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Haddon migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Haddons to arrive in North America:

Haddon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John and Margaret Haddon, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630.
  • Mr. Garrett Haddon, British settler who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 8
  • Mrs. Margaret Haddon, British settler who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 8
  • Nath Haddon, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 9
Haddon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert Haddon, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 9

Haddon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Haddon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Bridget Haddon, aged t3 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "John Bolton" departing 13th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but she died on board 10
  • Mr. John B. Haddon, aged 21 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Sir Robert Peel" departing 26th July 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 19th September 1847 but he died on board 10

Haddon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Haddon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Haddon, English convict who was convicted in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
  • Mr. John Haddon, English convict who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • Mary Ann Haddon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Arab" in 1843 13
  • James Haddon, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on March 6, 1848, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 14
  • H. Haddon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1849 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Haddon migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Haddon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Haddon, aged 28, a tailor, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1856
  • Mr. John Haddon, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "England" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th February 1867 16

Contemporary Notables of the name Haddon (post 1700) +

  • Ryan Haddon (b. 1971), American journalist, presenter and TV producer, daughter of Dayle Haddon
  • Deitrick Vaughn Haddon (b. 1973), American Gospel singer, songwriter, music producer, pastor, and actor
  • Sam Ellis Haddon (b. 1937), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana (2012-)
  • Laurence Haddon (1922-2013), American actor, known for his roles in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Dallas and Knot's Landing
  • Brigadier-General Julian Buckner Haddon (1894-1958), American Commanding General Army Air Force Eastern Flying Training Command (1945-1946) 17
  • Kathleen Haddon (1888-1961), English zoologist, photographer, and scholar of string-figures
  • Peter Haddon (1898-1962), English actor, active from 1924 to 1952
  • Mark Haddon (b. 1962), English author of the international bestseller "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time"
  • Robert Haddon Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California Riverside
  • Lloyd Ward Haddon (b. 1938), Canadian professional hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings from 1958 to 1965
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. 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)
  8. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  9. 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)
  10. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 78)
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  13. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ARAB 1843. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1843Arab.htm
  14. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anna Maria voyage to Van Diemen's Land or Port Phillip, Australia in 1848 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anna-maria/1848
  15. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Navarino.htm
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 11) Julian Haddon. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Haddon/Julian_Buckner/USA.html


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