Headien History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The lineage of the name Headien begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in one of a variety of similarly-named places. Settlements called Heydon were found in Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire. Cambridge and Norfolk both had places called Heydon, and Haydon Bridge was in Northumberland. The surname Headien 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 Headien family

The surname Headien was first found in Norfolk, where Sir Thomas de Heydon (circa 1185-1250) was on record as a judge, who was given the office of "Justice of Eyre," under a provision in the Magna Carta. His son, William de Heydon, remained in Norfolk, continuing the line that obtained estates at Heydon and Baconsthorpe. A younger son of Sir Thomas, Johannes (John) de Heydon, settled in Devon in the 13th century beginning a well known Devon branch of this family name.

Edmund of Hadenham (fl. 1307), the early English chronicler, "was a monk of Rochester, to whom is ascribed, on the authority of William Lambard, the Kentish topographer, a historical work preserved in the Cottonian Library (Nero, D. II.) in the British Museum. This manuscript, according to Wharton, contains a chronicle in one handwriting down to 1307, which is a copy of Matthew of Westminster, excepting that it contains a number of interspersed notices relating to the history of Rochester. " 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Richard de Haydon, or Heydon, Yorkshire; John de Haydon, Somerset; and Agnes de Heydone, Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Headien family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Headien research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1280, 1303, 1327, 1479, 1503, 1574, 1583, 1586, 1623, 1629, 1651, 1653, 1656, 1658, 1667, 1669, 1723 and 1746 are included under the topic Early Headien History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Headien Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Headien has undergone many spelling variations, including Hayden, Haydon, Hadenham and others.

Early Notables of the Headien family

Distinguished members of the family include John Haidon (d. 1583) Sheriff of London; John Heydon (1629-c. 1667), English philosopher and Rosicrucian (a legendary and secretive Order); as well as Sir John Heydon, English, Governor of Bermuda in 1669. George Heyden (fl. 1723), was an English composer and organist at the church of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey. On 6 January 1746 he was elected a member of the Madrigal Society. 1 Sir Henry Heydon (d. 1503), was a country gentleman, belonged to an old family seated at Heydon in Norfolk. As early as the thirteenth century one of the family resided in Norfolk, and...
Another 142 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Headien Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Headien family to Ireland

Some of the Headien family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Headien family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Headien were among those contributors: John Hayden settled in New England in 1630; another John settled in Virginia in 1670; Samuel Hayden settled in New England in 1666; Thomas Hayden settled in Virginia in 1654.

The Headien 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: Ferme en foy
Motto Translation: Strong in faith.

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)