Hudnall is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in
England with the
Norman Conquest of 1066. Hudnall is a name that comes from the Norman name
Odinet, from which the more commonly known
Odo is derived.
Early Origins of the Hudnall family
The surname Hudnall was first found in
Shropshire at Hodnet, a village and civil parish in the union of Drayton, in the
hundred of North Bradford. The first record of the place name was found in the
Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Odenet.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) Apart from the aforementioned
patronymic origin, the place name could also mean "pleasant valley," from the
Welsh "hawdd" meaning "pleasant" or "peaceful" and "nant," a "glen or valley."
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Early History of the Hudnall family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hudnall research.
Another 239 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1116 and 1237 are included under the topic Early Hudnall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hudnall Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of
spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Hodenet, Hignett, Hignet, Hodnet, Hodnett, Hodenett, Hodinett, Hodinutt, Hodinut, Hodinott, Hodinot, Hoddenett, Hoddinet, Hoddinutt and many more.
Early Notables of the Hudnall family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Hudnall Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hudnall family to Ireland
Some of the Hudnall family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 197 words (14 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 Hudnall family to the New World and Oceana
Because of the political and religious discontent in
England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Hudnall name or one of its variants:
Hudnall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Richard P. Hudnall, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1904
- Mrs. L. P. Hudnall, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1905
- Richard H. Hudnall, aged 35, who emigrated to the United States, in 1905
- A. Reed Hudnall, aged 17, who settled in America, in 1920
- A. W. Hudnall, aged 38, who emigrated to the United States, in 1920
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Hudnall (post 1700)
- George B. Hudnall (1864-1936), American politician, Member of the Wisconsin Senate (1903-1911)
- James David Hudnall (b. 1957), American comic book writer