Okdend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Okdend is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Okdend family once lived near an oak valley, or came from the place called Ogden, in West Yorkshire. The surname Okdend derives from the Old English words ac and denu, which mean oak and valley, respectively. Other records show the surname Okdend originating in Somerset, but became prominent in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Okdend family

The surname Okdend was first found in West Yorkshire at Ogden, a small hamlet north of Halifax. Historically part of Lancashire, this hamlet was where Elias de Akeden, de Aggeden was listed the Assize Rolls of that shire in 1246. Almost one hundred years later, Richard de Okeden was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332. 1

"This family name, so familiar to South Lancashire, sprang up in the neighbourhood of Crompton and [in the] parish of Rochdale." 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list John de Okedon in Yorkshire and the Assize Rolls of Lancashire of 1246-1247 list Elias de Akeden. Almost one hundred years later, the Lancashire Feet of Fines include Thomas Okeden as holding lands there in 1444. 3

Early History of the Okdend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Okdend research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Okdend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Okdend 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 Okdend family name include Ogden, Okden, Oakden, Ogdon, Odgen and others.

Early Notables of the Okdend family

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

Migration of the Okdend family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, 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 Okdend surname or a spelling variation of the name include: David Ogden settled in Delaware Bay in 1682; Randall Ogden arrived in Barbados in 1634; John Ogden arrived in Connecticut in 1635; Charles, David, Emmanual, Henry, James, John, Samuel, Robert and William Ogden all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860..

The Okdend Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Et si ostendo non jacto
Motto Translation: And if I show I do not boast.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print