Hadwyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Hadwyn is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. Hadwyn is a name that comes from the Old French name Hardouin, a traditional baptismal name which meant Hardwinnus. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Hadwyn family

The surname Hadwyn was first found in Cambridgeshire, where they held a family seat from the 12th century.

Early History of the Hadwyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hadwyn research. Another 40 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1273 is included under the topic Early Hadwyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hadwyn Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Hardwin, Hardwen, Hadwin, Hadwen, Hadwine and many more.

Early Notables of the Hadwyn family

More information is included under the topic Early Hadwyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hadwyn migration to Canada +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Hadwyn name or one of its variants:

Hadwyn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mrs. Jannet Hadwyn, aged 40 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Broom" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle on 21st September 1847 1

Citations +

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. 31)