Contents [hide]

Redding History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Redding History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Redding is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the village of Reading found in the county of Berkshire. The surname Redding is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English word rydding which simply refers to an area that has been cleared.

Early Origins of the Redding family

The surname Redding was first found in Sussex. Some of the earliest records of the surname were: Robert de Reading (died 1325), English historian and a monk of Westminster; and John of Reading (Latin: Johannes de Reading, Johannes Radingia) who died 1346. He was an English Franciscan theologian and scholastic philosopher and follower of Duns Scotus. He wrote a commentary on the Four Books of Sentences written by Peter Lombard around 1320, at the University of Oxford. In 1322, he accepted a teaching position at Avignon and it was there that he died.

Early History of the Redding family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Redding research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1645, 1667, 1674, 1677, 1686, 1692, 1744, 1747, 1748, 1757, 1758 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Redding History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Redding 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 Redding family name include Reading, Reding, Redding, Reddin and others.

Early Notables of the Redding family

Distinguished members of the family include John Reading (1588-1667), English Calvinist and Biblical commentator; Sir James Reading; John Reading (c.1645-1692), English composer and organist, Choir master of Chichester Cathedral (1674-1677); and...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Redding Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Redding Ranking

In the United States, the name Redding is the 2,054^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1

Redding migration to the United States +

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 Redding surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Redding Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joseph Redding, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1632 2
Myles Redding, who landed in Massachusetts in 1634 2
Mr. Jerremy Redding, aged 18, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 3
Henry Redding, aged 22, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 2
James Redding, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Redding Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Captain Redding, who served in the Second New Jersey Regiment in 1778

Redding Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Casper Redding, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1849 2
John D Redding, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
F W Redding, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 2

Redding migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Redding Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Henry Redding U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 4
Mr. William Redding U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 4

Redding migration to Australia +

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

Redding Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Henry Redding, English convict who was convicted in Worcestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. James Redding, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 25th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Charles Redding, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Henry Redding, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 8
Miss Julia Redding, (b. 1820), aged 21, English needle woman who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 16th November 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Redding 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:

Redding Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ann Redding, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of the Avon" in 1859
Eliza Redding, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of the Avon" in 1859
Thomas Redding, aged 22, a carter, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875
Mary Redding, aged 21, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875
Emma Redding, aged 2, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Redding (post 1700) +

Otis Redding (1941-1967), American Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winning soul singer, probably best known for his famous song "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Otis Redding III (1964-2023), American singer for The Reddings, an American funk, soul and disco band, son of Otis Ray Redding Jr.
Timothy James "Tim" Redding (b. 1978), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Josiah Redding (b. 1983), American musician, of the group The Redding Brothers
Gene Redding (b. 1945), American singer
George Redding, American politician, Member of New Jersey State Senate from Cape May County, 1945-48 10
Eva B. Redding, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1944 10
Charles L. Redding, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, 1927-32, 1933 10
Carl Redding, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 90th District, 1976, 1978 10
Benjamin S. Redding, American politician, Secretary of State of California, 1863-67 10
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Redding 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: Dieu defende la droit
Motto Translation: God defends the right.

Citations +

"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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ORLEANA 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Orleana.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html