The ancestors of the bearers of the Heighdind family name are thought have lived in ancient
Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found 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 Heighdind 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 Heighdind family
The surname Heighdind 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.
Early History of the Heighdind family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heighdind research.
Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1583, 1583, 1629, 1667 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Heighdind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Heighdind 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 Heighdind include Hayden, Haydon and others.
Early Notables of the Heighdind family (pre 1700)
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heighdind Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Heighdind family to Ireland
Some of the Heighdind family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 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 Heighdind family to the New World and Oceana
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 Heighdind or a variant listed above: 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 Heighdind 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.