Show ContentsPardue History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Pardue is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Pardue was a name used for a person who was known for their continued use of the oath pour Dieu, which is Old French meaning "for God." This is a subset of the nickname type of name known as oath names. 1

Early Origins of the Pardue family

The surname Pardue was first found in Bedfordshire where Gilbert Purdeu was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1227. Later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 included an entry for John Purde in Cheshire and the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex had two entries for the family: John Purdew in 1296; and John Purde in 1332. These entries may be the same person, or father and son. In Norfolk, John Purdy was listed there in 1436 as was Robert Purdu in 1479. 1

The same source found Richard Parde in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1228; Robert Pardey in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and Henry Pardeu in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, "John Purdie was one of an inquest in 1296 which found that Robert de Pinkeny held the tenement of Balincref, and David Perdy was a tenant of the earl of Douglas in Linton, 1376. A later David Purde, succentor of Glasgow, 1476-1477, appears again in 1491 as Prade, and in the title of his obituary in 1497 his name is given as Prowde." 2

Early History of the Pardue family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pardue research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1525, 1569, 1585, 1743, 1754, 1764, 1770, 1776, 1779, 1783, 1814, 1820, 1823, 1858, 1880 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pardue History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pardue Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Pardue include Pardy, Pardie, Pardee, Purdie, Purdew, Purdy, Purdoe, Pardoe and many more.

Early Notables of the Pardue family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Pardoe (1770-1823), English enameler who was noted for flower painting from Derby. Alexander Purdie (c. 1743- 1779), born in Scotland, emigrated to America by 1764. He became a prominent colonial American printer, publisher, and merchant in Williamsburg, Virginia where he...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pardue Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pardue Ranking

In the United States, the name Pardue is the 5,361st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Pardue family to Ireland

Some of the Pardue family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Pardue migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Pardue were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Pardue Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edward Pardue, who landed in Maryland in 1669 4
Pardue Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Violet Pardue, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1903
  • G. Estelle Pardue, aged 16, who settled in America from London, England, in 1909
  • Gwendoline Pardue, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1916
  • M Felix Pardue, who arrived in North Dakota in 1916 4
  • John Pardue, aged 24, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1918
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pardue migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pardue Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Charles Pardue, who arrived in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862

Pardue 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:

Pardue Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • R.A. Pardue, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "John Scott" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 7th March 1858 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Pardue (post 1700) +

  • Homer Chesley Pardue (1910-1979), American trainer and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses
  • Jimmy Pardue (b. 1964), American former race car driver
  • Kevin Ian "Kip" Pardue (b. 1975), American actor and model


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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