Hardwin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Hardwin

What does the name Hardwin mean?

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought the Hardwin family name to the British Isles. Hardwin 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 Hardwin family

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

Early History of the Hardwin family

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

Hardwin Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Hardwin, Hardwen, Hadwin, Hadwen, Hadwine and many more.

Early Notables of the Hardwin family

Godwin fil Hardwini of Norfolk, a distinguished landholder during the reign of Edward 1st

Hardwin migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hardwin or a variant listed above:

Hardwin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Grace Hardwin, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 1

The Hardwin 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: Had on and win

Sources +

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)