Olden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Olden family

The surname Olden was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 11th century when Aldenus held estates in that county. They may have been of Cumbrian extraction. The Dalden variant has a most interesting history found in Dawdon or Dawden, Durham. "There was once a castle or peel here, which in the first ages after the Conquest was the seat of the family of Escolland, who, it seems, afterwards assumed the name of Dalden, by which term this place was formerly designated, It was also for two centuries a favourite seat of the family of Bowes. A domestic chapel was attached to the structure, as Sir Jordan de Dalden, in 1325, obtained a licence to establish an oratory within his manor-house, on condition that no injury should arise to the parochial church of Dalton." 1

Early History of the Olden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Olden research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1109, 1455, 1487, 1504, 1510, 1599, 1600, 1602, 1622, 1623, 1680, 1687, 1701 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Olden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Olden 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 Olden 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 Olden include: Alden, Aldin, Aldwen, Aldyn, Aldwyn, Aldwen, Elden, Eldwyn, Eldwin, Eldin, Olden, Auden, Aldan, Aldon and many more.

Early Notables of the Olden family

Distinguished members of the family include John, C. Alden (1599-1687) was a crew member of the Mayflower and one of the Puritan settlers of the Plymouth Colony. He arrived in America where he became an assistant to the Governor of the colony. He married Priscilla Alden (c. 1602-1680) (née Mullins or Mullens), on May 12, 1622. She was another passenger on...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Olden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Olden Ranking

In the United States, the name Olden is the 14,522^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Olden 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 Olden or a variant listed above:

Olden Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Samuel Olden, who landed in Virginia in 1705 3

Olden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Carl G Olden, aged 30, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 3
Gabriel Olden, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 3
Isaac Olden, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1867 3

Olden migration to Australia +

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

Olden Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Olden, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Mr. Joseph Olden, British convict who was convicted in Westminster, London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Olden (post 1700) +

Marc Olden (d. 2003), American writer from New York City, known for Black Samurai, Black Samurai (1976) and Poe Must Die
Ashleigh Olden, American actress, known for The West Wing (1999), Engaging Peter (2002) and Undressed
Paul Olden (b. 1954), American current public address announcer for the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium
George Elliott Olden (1920-1975), American graphic designer who worked in television and advertising, best known for his work on Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, and Lassie
Georg Olden (b. 1968), retired American actor, model and musical theatre performer from Terrytown, New York, known for Explorers (1985), Rocky Road (1985) and Breathless (1983)
Walter H. Olden, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Mercer County, 1926-27 6
Samuel Bedwell Olden Jr., American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Guayaquil, 1943 6
Harry L. Olden, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Ohio, 1956 6
Charles Smith Olden (1799-1876), American politician, Member of New Jersey State Senate from Mercer County, 1845-50; Governor of New Jersey, 1860-63; Presidential Elector for New Jersey, 1872 6
Charles H. Olden, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Mercer County, 1888 6
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html