Show ContentsHeden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Heden family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the parish of Headon, which is in the diocese of Southwell in Nottinghamshire, or in the parish of Hedon, which is in the diocese of York in Yorkshire. The surname Heden 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 Heden family

The surname Heden was first found in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, where evidence suggests they held a family seat before the Norman Conquest.

Early History of the Heden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heden research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379 and 1690 are included under the topic Early Heden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heden Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Heden include Heading, Headen, Headon, Hedding, Heddon, Hedon, Hedin, Hedden and many more.

Early Notables of the Heden family

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

Ireland Migration of the Heden family to Ireland

Some of the Heden family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Heden migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Heden or a variant listed above:

Heden Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Richard Heden, who arrived in New England in 1714 [1]
Heden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Heden to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1842

Canada Heden migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Heden Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Michael Heden, who landed in Canada in 1812

Contemporary Notables of the name Heden (post 1700) +

  • Ernest A. Heden (1888-1962), American politician, Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and Wisconsin State Senate
  • Brian Heden (b. 1985), American super heavyweight fighter from Frazee, Minnesota


  1. 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)


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