Show ContentsSeed History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Seed family

The surname Seed was first found in Lancashire 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 13th century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Seed family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seed research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1600, 1700, 1707, 1722, 1732, 1741, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Seed History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seed Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Seeds, Seed, Sead, Sede, Sedes, Seades, Seet, Seetes, Seates, Cedes and many more.

Early Notables of the Seed family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Jeremiah Seed (1700-1747), English divine, son of Jeremiah Seed, rector of Clifton, Westmorland, from 1707 until his death in 1722...
  • In 1741, Seed was presented by his college to the rectory of Knight's Enham, Hampshire, where he remained until his death on 10 Dec...

Migration of the Seed family to Ireland

Some of the Seed family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 102 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Seed migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Seed Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • James Seed, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 1
  • Edward Seed, who landed in Virginia in 1717 1
  • William Seed, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 1
  • James, Seed Jr., who landed in Virginia in 1717 1
Seed Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Seed, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 1
  • John Seed, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1844 1
  • Martin Seed, who arrived in America in 1854 1

Seed migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Seed Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Seed, aged 24 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Urania" departing 9th April 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board 2

Seed 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:

Seed Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Seed, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Martha Ridgway
  • John Seed, aged 39, a cabinet maker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
  • Anne Seed, aged 37, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
  • Richard Seed, aged 27, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
  • Harriet Seed, aged 25, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Vimy Ridge
  • Walter Seed (1889-1917), Canadian clerk, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge June 1917


  1. 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)
  2. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 95)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook