Mendon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Mendon

What does the name Mendon mean?

The ancient family Mendon derives its name from Mendham, a parish, in the union of Hoxne, partly in the hundred of Earsham, E. division of Norfolk, but chiefly in the hundred of Hoxne, E. division of Suffolk. 1 "A Cluniac priory, subordinate to that of Castle-Acre, was founded at Bruninghurst, in this parish, in the reign of Stephen, by William, son of Roger de Huntingfield, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary; it subsisted till the Dissolution, when the site was granted to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk: there are some slight remains." 2

The ancient Saxon parish was originally known as Myndham c. 950, but by the Domesday Book of 1086, it was known as Mendham. 3

The place name literally means "homestead or village of a man called Mynda," from the Old English personal name + "ham." 4

Early Origins of the Mendon family

The surname Mendon was first found in Suffolk where William de Mendeham was recorded as holding lands in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. William a Mendham was similarly recorded in Suffolk in an early rolls (1447-1448) John Mendham was recorded at Paston in 1454. 5

Early History of the Mendon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mendon research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1195, 1388, 1394, 1449, 1510, 1600, 1769 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Mendon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mendon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Mendham, Mendam, Mendeham and others.

Early Notables of the Mendon family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mendon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mendon family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: William Mendham, who came to Philadelphia in 1846; Richard Mendham, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1848; and E. Mendham, who settled in San Francisco in 1853..

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)