Show ContentsPindar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestry of the name Pindar can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a name for a person who worked as the Pinder which referred to the individual who impounded stray cattle. During the Middle Ages there was rampant theft of livestock, which made the Pinder a very important member of the community. 1 The variant Pounder was used interchangeably with Pinder. 2

Early Origins of the Pindar family

The surname Pindar was first found in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire where the name has appeared "for six centuries, and occurs in both counties as Le Pinder in the reign of Edward I." 3

"The Pindar (or Pinder) of Wakefield (George a Green) is the subject of one of the Robin Hood ballads. "

"She doth not only think of lusty Robin Hood, But of his merry man, the Pindar of the Town Of Wakefield, George a Greene.- Drayton, Poly-Olbion, xxviii, 70-2." 2

Interestingly, the Hundredorum Rolls had only two entries for the family and both were in the aforementioned counties: Hugh le Pinder, Lincolnshire; and Walter le Pinder, Nottinghamshire. 1 The Excerpta e Rotulis Finium in Turri Londinensi listed John le Pindere while the Writs of Parliament c. 1300 listed Henry le Pynder

Early History of the Pindar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pindar research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1538, 1565, 1650, 1680, 1693, 1694, 1705 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Pindar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pindar Spelling Variations

Pindar has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Pindar have been found, including Pinder, Pynder, Pyndar, Pendar, Pindar, Pinner, Pinter, Pender and many more.

Early Notables of the Pindar family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Sir Paul Pindar (c. 1565-1650), English diplomat, born at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. "The family is said to have been long resident in Wellingborough." 4
  • Sir Peter Pindar, of Idinshaw in the County of Chester, 1st Baronet (d. c. 1693) was an English peer; as was Sir Thomas Pindar, 2nd Baronet (d. c. 1694); and Sir Paul Pindar, 3rd Baronet (c. 1680-c. 1...


Pindar migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Pindars to arrive on North American shores:

Pindar Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Pindar, who settled in Boston in 1635
  • John Pindar, who settled in Virginia in 1654
  • John Pindar, who arrived in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1662 5
  • Jane Pindar, who landed in Maryland in 1675 5
Pindar Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Richard Pindar, who landed in Virginia in 1705 5
Pindar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Pindar, aged 27, who arrived in New York in 1812 5
Pindar Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Arthur Pindar, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
  • Edward Pindar, aged 41, who landed in America, in 1908
  • Winifred Pindar, aged 29, who landed in America, in 1908
  • Myrtle Pindar, aged 34, who immigrated to America, in 1909
  • Stanley Pindar, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1920
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pindar migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pindar Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Pindar migration to Australia +

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

Pindar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Pindar, British Convict who was convicted in East Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Pindar (post 1700) +

  • Rev. James A. Pindar (1930-1984), American Catholic priest, educator, and American Republican Party politician
  • Joseph D. Pindar, American politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 2nd District, 1848-49 8
  • John Sigsbee Pindar (1835-1907), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from New York 24th District, 1885-87, 1890-91 8
  • David A. Pindar, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1926-27 8
  • Paul Richard Martin Pindar (b. 1959), English businessman, managing director and chief executive of Capita plc
  • Peter Pindar (1738-1819), pseudonym of John Wolcot, an English satirist from Dodbrooke, near Kingsbridge, Devon


The Pindar 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: Ex fide fortis
Motto Translation: Strong though faith.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. 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)
  6. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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