Show ContentsPlowden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Plowden surname lived in Plowden, a hamlet in the parish of Lydbury North, Shropshire. The local dates back to 1252 when it was first listed as Plaueden and literally means "valley where play or sport takes place," from the Old English words "plaga" + "denu." 1

Early Origins of the Plowden family

The surname Plowden was first found in Shropshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Plowden. Traditionally, they held these estates at the time of the Norman Conquest, but the first record is of Sir Roger Plowden who accompanied King Richard on his Crusade to the Holy Land and was present at the siege of Acre (1191). For his gallantry he was awarded by the King an augmentation of two fleur-des-lys on his Coat of Arms, a distinction the family has borne ever since. 2 "The name occurs upon all county records from the reign of Henry III." 2

Early History of the Plowden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Plowden research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1518, 1562, 1585, 1590, 1594, 1632, 1649, 1659, 1664 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Plowden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Plowden 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 Plowden 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 Plowden include: Plowden, Plowdon, Ploughden, Ploweden, Plough and many more.

Early Notables of the Plowden family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Edmund Plowden (1518-1585), a distinguished English lawyer, legal scholar and Member of Parliament, he was born at Plowden Hall, Lydbury, Shropshire; Thomas Plowden (1594-1664), an English Jesuit from...


United States Plowden 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 Plowden or a variant listed above:

Plowden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edmund Plowden, and Evelin Plowden, who settled in Virginia in 1632
  • Sir Edmund Plowden, who landed in Virginia in 1641 3
  • Thomas Plowden, who settled in Maryland in 1684
  • Thomas Plowden, who landed in Virginia in 1698 3
Plowden Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Plowden, who arrived in Virginia in 1704
  • George Plowden, who settled in Maryland in 1713
  • Frances Plowden, who settled in Carolina in 1717
  • Catherine Plowden, who settled in Carolina in 1718

Contemporary Notables of the name Plowden (post 1700) +

  • David Plowden (b. 1932), American photographer
  • Charles Plowden (1743-1821), English Jesuit teacher, writer and administrator, rector of Stonyhurst college
  • Sir William Chichele Plowden (1832-1915), English Civil Servant and Member Of UK Parliament
  • Alison Plowden (1931-2007), English historian and biographer
  • Edwin Noel Plowden (1907-2001), English Economist, created Baron Plowden, of Plowden, County of Salop in 1959
  • William Henry Chicheley Plowden (1787-1880), English politician, member of the UK Parliament
  • Robert Plowden (1740-1823), English Jesuit priest, and supporter of Bishop John Milner
  • Walter Chichele Plowden (1820-1860), British diplomat, consul in Abyssinia (Ehtiopia)
  • Lady Bridget Horatia Plowden DBE, Chairman, Independent Broadcasting Authority, Dunmow, Essex


The Plowden 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: Quod tibi, hoc alteri
Motto Translation: That is for thee, not the other.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  3. 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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook