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![Show Contents]() Heardhan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of HeardhanWhat does the name Heardhan mean? The history of the name Heardhan dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from a member of the family who worked as a guardian of cattle or sheep. The surname Heardhan is derived from the Old English word hierdeman, which means herdman. Early Origins of the Heardhan familyThe surname Heardhan was first found in Norfolk, where Osbert Hirdam was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1166. A few years later, Simon le Hyrdeman was found in the Pipe Rolls of Kent in 1181 and John le Herdman, Walter Herdman were found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 1 The Herder variant is very rare but in this case, Nicholas le Herder was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327; and John Hurder was listed in Somerset in 1333. The name is derived from the Middle English word "herden," or "hurdern," literally meaning "to take care of, to tend," from the word "herdman." 1 Early History of the Heardhan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heardhan research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1268, 1272, 1273, 1307, 1524, 1762 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Heardhan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Heardhan Spelling VariationsOnly 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 Heardhan has undergone many spelling variations, including Herdman, Herdsman, Hurdman, Heardman, Herder, Hearden, Herden, Hirdman and many more. Early Notables of the Heardhan familyAnother 25 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heardhan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Heardhan family to IrelandSome of the Heardhan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 108 words (8 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 Heardhan familyTo 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 Heardhan were among those contributors: Lawrence Herder,who settled in Newfoundland in 1706; John Erdman who sailed to Philadelphia in 1737; G. Herder in Texas in 1836; Philip Hearden to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1851.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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