Show ContentsIddon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Iddon is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Iddon comes from the Old Norman female personal name Idunn, which is thought to be composed of the elements idja, which means to work or perform, and unna, which means to love. While most surnames adapted from personal names descend through patronymic lineage, the name Iddon is a relatively rare case of a metronymic name. While patronymic lineage was traditional in Norman society, in cases such as when a man had a second family and wished to distinguish between the two groups the children may have adopted the name of the mother.

Early Origins of the Iddon family

The surname Iddon was first found in Sussex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Iden. The village of Iden appeared in the Domesday Book, [1] a census taken by Duke William of Normandy in 1086 after his conquest of England in 1066 A.D. At this time the village was held by Geoffrey and Leofwin from the Count of Eu, the tenant-in-chief. Conjecturally this family name is descended from one of those Norman nobles. The village, originally spelt 'Idene' is the name of a Norse goddess. From about the 16th century the name was more popularly spelt Iddon.

In Hemyock, Devon, we found this interesting passage: "The Hidons built a castle here, of which there are yet important remains, including the main gateway and its towers, and part of the general cincture. It is an edifice of great strength, and of some peculiar characteristics Early Edwardian in general character ; but of its history absolutely nothing seems to be known, save that it was garrisoned by the Roundheads, and used by them as a prison." [2]

Early History of the Iddon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Iddon research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Iddon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Iddon Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Iddon, Idon, Iden, Idens, Iddin, Iddins, Hidden and many more.

Early Notables of the Iddon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Iddon of Sussex


Australia Iddon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Iddon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Iddon who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [3]


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england


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