Hurden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Hurden is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a guardian of cattle or sheep. The surname Hurden is derived from the Old English word hierdeman, which means herdman.

Early Origins of the Hurden family

The surname Hurden 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 Hurden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hurden 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 Hurden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hurden Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Hurden are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Hurden include: Herdman, Herdsman, Hurdman, Heardman, Herder, Hearden, Herden, Hirdman and many more.

Early Notables of the Hurden family

Another 25 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hurden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hurden family to Ireland

Some of the Hurden 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.

Hurden migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Hurden or a variant listed above:

Hurden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Hurden, who landed in Virginia in 1657 2

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)