Kidde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The Kidde surname comes from the Middle English word "kid(e)," which referred to a young goat. The name may have originally been a nickname for someone energetically kid-like, or it may have occupational for a herder of goats.

Early Origins of the Kidde family

The surname Kidde was first found in Suffolk and Northamptonshire, where a William, Ralp Kide was on record in 12th century Pipe Rolls for those counties. An Alan Kydeman was also on record in Norfolk, in the 1275 Rotuli Hundredorum. The Hundredorum Rolls also lists Reginald Kidd. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had three entries: Ricardus Kyd; Thomas Kydde; and Willelmus Kydde. 1

The Pipe Rolls listed William Kide in Suffolk in 1181 and Ralph Kide in Northumberland in 1198. 2

Early History of the Kidde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kidde research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1430, 1450, 1453, 1601, 1602, 1735, 1775, 1786, 1789, 1851 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Kidde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kidde Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Kidd, Kydd, Kidman, Kideman, Kidde, Kydeman and others.

Early Notables of the Kidde family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Kyd (fl. 1430-1453), a 15th-century English pirate active in South West England from the 1430s until the 1450s. In November 1453, in perhaps the biggest prize of his career, he captured The Marie of St. Andrews. He and others were virtually immune from the law for over two decades by the protection of corrupt custom officials.John Kidd (1775-1851), physician, born in London 10 Sept...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kidde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kidde family to Ireland

Some of the Kidde family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kidde migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Kidde or a variant listed above:

Kidde Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Kidde, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 3
Mary Kidde, who landed in Maryland in 1663 3
William Kidde, who arrived in Maryland or Virginia in 1663 3

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)