Mildryth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Mildryth

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Mildryth came from the female personal name Mildred, which is derived from the Old English forename Mildthryth. This was a common name during the medieval period due to the popularity of St. Mildred. 1

St Mildryth or Mildryth (d. 700?), was a "saint and abbess, younger sister of St. Milburg, who was destined by her mother, Eormenburga or Domneva, to a conventual life. Mildred, who was a girl of excellent disposition, was therefore sent to the nunnery of Chelles, about twelve miles to the east of Paris. While she was there a kinsman of the abbess Wilcoma wished to marry her; the abbess favoured his suit, and persecuted Mildred for refusing him; she shut Mildred into a hot oven, and kept her there for three hours, but Mildred came out unhurt. On another day the abbess beat her and tore out her hair. Mildred sent her mother a tress of her torn-out hair and a little psalter that she had written for her, with a request that her mother would help her. Eormenburga sent for her, but the abbess would not let her go. However, she escaped, and taking with her some precious relics that she had bought sailed for England. She landed at Ebbsfleet, and the stone on which she stepped on landing was impressed by her foot, and many were healed there." 2

Early Origins of the Mildryth family

Early History of the Mildryth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mildryth research. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1175, 1196, 1327 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Mildryth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mildryth Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Mildryth family name include Mildred, Mildreth, Mildredd, Mildryth, Meldred, Meldreth, Meldryth, Meldryd, Mildrath and many more.

Early Notables of the Mildryth family

More information is included under the topic Early Mildryth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Mildryth family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Mildryth surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Charles Mildred settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1838.