Show ContentsNorden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Norden family

The surname Norden was first found in various places throughout Sweden as the name is derived from the Old Norse word for north. The name was originally a topographic name adopted by someone who lived to the north of a main settlement. When surnames finally became mandatory in Sweden in the 19th century, Norden, or one of the many compound names created from it were often adopted ornamentally, that is, the bearers did not necessarily have any association with the meaning of the name. These compound names used such suffixes as "dahl" (valley), "stedt" (homestead), "ström" (river), and others.

Early History of the Norden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Norden research. The year 1815 is included under the topic Early Norden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norden Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Nord, Nordh, Noren, Norden, Norin, Nordin, Norell, Nordell, Norlin, Nordling, Norelius, Norberg, Nordberg, Norrby, Nordahl, Norqvist, Nordström and many more.

Early Notables of the Norden family

Notable among the family at this time were

  • Baron Nordenskjöld of Sweden who was listed as such November 21, 1751

Norden Ranking

In the United States, the name Norden is the 12,760th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Norden migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Norden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Walter Norden, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 2
  • Samuel Norden, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1666 2
  • Samuel Norden, who settled in Boston in 1666
  • Rich Norden, who settled in Virginia in 1681
  • Nathaniel Norden, who settled in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1689
Norden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Christ L Norden, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 2
  • Laurence Norden, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1843
  • John Norden, who on record in Illinois in 1874
  • Axel Alfred Norden, who landed in New York, NY in 1888 2

Australia Norden migration to Australia +

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

Norden Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Oakley Norden, English convict who was convicted in Chelmsford, Essex, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
  • Mr. Robert Norden, English convict who was convicted in Chelmsford, Essex, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

New Zealand Norden 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:

Norden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • David Norden, aged 22, a tailor, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cartvale" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Norden (post 1700) +

  • Carl Lucas Norden (1880-1965), Dutch-born American engineer, creator of the Norden bombsight for the United States Navy
  • Carl F. Norden, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Paramaribo, 1943 4
  • Albert Norden (1904-1982), German communist politician who went into exile during Nazi rule but returned after the war to become a politician in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)
  • Cecily Norden (b. 1918), South African author, horse judge, rider and breeder
  • Denis Norden (b. 1922), British comedy writer and television presenter
  • Christine Norden (1924-1988), British actress


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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