Riden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Riden

What does the name Riden mean?

The name Riden is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Roydon, places found in Essex and Norfolk. The place-name Roydon is derived from the Old English elements rygen, which means rye, and dun, which means hill. The place-name as a whole translates as "hill where rye is grown." Roydon in Essex was recorded in the Domesday Book as Ruindune; Roydon in Norfolk was recorded in that document as Regadona. The Domesday Book was a survey of England ordered by King WIlliam the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England, in 1086. It was used to reassess the Danegeld (the tax system in place at the time) and as a reference for the settlement of property disputes.

Early Origins of the Riden family

The surname Riden was first found in Suffolk but other branches of the family were located elsewhere. By example, Rowton is a small village located seven miles north of Wellington, Shropshire. It dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was recorded as Rugheton. 1

The Battle of Rowton Heath was fought between the forces of the parliament and those of King Charles on 24 September 1645 during the English Civil War.

"On Rowton Heath was fought the important battle between the forces of the parliament and those of King Charles, which proved so fatal to the brave Earl of Lichfield, and so disastrous to his royal master; here, also, the Cheshire gentry assembled and declared for a free parliament, on the attempt of Sir George Booth to restore Charles II., in 1659." 2

Rowton Castle is a Grade II listed country house near Shrewsbury in Shropshire. The present castle was built in the 17th century, although a previous castle named Rowton Castle had stood on the site for several hundred years previously. As of 1986, it has been a luxury hotel.

Early History of the Riden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Riden research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1583, 1610, 1614, 1622 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Riden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Riden Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Riden has been spelled many different ways, including Royden, Roydon, Rowton, Rowden and others.

Early Notables of the Riden family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Marmaduke Roydon (1583-1646), English merchant-adventurer, son of Ralph Roydon or Rawdon of Rawden Brandesby in Yorkshire. At sixteen years of age he went to London, where he was apprenticed to Daniel Hall, a Bordeaux merchant, who sent him as his factor to France. He returned to London about 1610 and was elected a common councilman. Soon afterwards he was presented with the freedom of the Clothworkers' Company, and made captain of the city...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Riden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Riden migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Ridens to arrive in North America:

Riden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Charles Riden, who landed in Maryland in 1664 3

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)