Show ContentsLangden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Langden

What does the name Langden mean?

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Langden surname lived in the villages of Langdon or Longdon which had several locations around England. This place-name literally refers to an area that was known for a long hill. 1 2

East Langdon and West Landgon in Kent are the oldest parishes bearing this name. They collectively date back to Saxon times when they were known as Langandune in 861; the parish of Langdon Hills is Essex, named Langenduna in the Domesday Book of 1086 follows. 3 By 1291, East and West Landgon were known as Estlangedoun and Westlangedone. 4

Early Origins of the Langden family

The surname Langden was first found in Worcestershire where Aelfward aet Langadune was registered as an Old English Byname c. 1050. Later, Chetelburn de Lonedun was found in Warwickshire and Maurice de Landedun was listed in the Feet of Fines for Kent in 1201. In Staffordshire, Reginald de Langedon was registered there in the Assize Rolls of 1221 as was Alan de Longedon in Salop (Shropshire.) 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included entries for: Bartholomew de Langedon, Essex; Cecil de Langedon, Kent; and William de Langedone, Essex. 6

In Somerset, John de Langedone was registered there 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 7

Some of the family were found in Cornwall where "the manor of Grimscott, [in the parish of Launcells] which is now divided into small tenements, was formerly the property of the Langdons." 8

Early History of the Langden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Langden research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1398, 1400, 1434, 1478, 1587, 1660, 1676, 1739, 1741, 1791, 1805 and 1819 are included under the topic Early Langden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Langden 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 Langden 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 Langden include: Langdon, Landon, Langdown, Langsdown and others.

Early Notables of the Langden family

Distinguished members of the family include John Langdon (d. 1434), Bishop of Rochester, a native of Kent, and perhaps of Langdon, who was admitted a monk of Christ Church, Canterbury, in 1398. Afterwards he studied at Oxford, and graduated B.D. in 1400; according to his epitaph he was D.D. He is said to have belonged to Gloucester Hall, now Worcester College. According to another account he was warden of Canterbury College, which was connected with his monastery; but this may be an error...
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Langden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Langden 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 Langden or a variant listed above:

Langden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Peter Langden, who landed in Virginia in 1623 9
Langden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Langden was a collector of Greenwich Hospital dues in Little St. Lawrence in 1810

Langden migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Langden Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Samuel Langden U.E. who settled in Parr Town, Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 10
Langden Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Langden migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Langden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Hart Langden, (b. 1852), aged 26, Cornish farm labourer departing on 31st October 1878 aboard the ship "Northern Monarch" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 1st February 1879 12
  • Mrs. Jane Langden, (b. 1853), aged 25, Cornish settler departing on 31st October 1878 aboard the ship "Northern Monarch" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 1st February 1879 12


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  8. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  9. 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)
  10. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  11. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  12. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf


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