Show ContentsHarwedand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Harwedand

What does the name Harwedand mean?

Harwedand is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Harwedand family lived in Flintshire, Wales at Hawarden. 1

Early Origins of the Harwedand family

The surname Harwedand was first found in Flintshire, Wales at Hawarden, a small village near the border of Cheshire and Wales. Legend has it that in the Church a statue of the Virgin Mary fell in 946, killing the wife of the Governor of the Castle. The statue was put on trial and condemned to death by drowning. The statue floated up the River Dee and washed up at Chester.

Hawarden Castle, built much later, after the Hawardens had left, was occupied during the 19th century by William Gladstone, Prime Minister of England.

Early History of the Harwedand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harwedand research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1206, 1574, 1662, 1686 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Harwedand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harwedand Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Hawarden, Hawardens, Hawerden, Harweden, Harveden, Harvedon and many more.

Early Notables of the Harwedand family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Hawarden (1662-1735), an English Roman Catholic theologian and controversialist from Lancashire. He was the son of Thomas Hawarden...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harwedand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Harwedand family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Harwedand or a variant listed above: Robert Harveden who landed in North America in 1705.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.


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