In getting
ready to do this Hardin Family research, I was depending a lot on my
mother, her memories and recolections about being raised up on
Montgomery Creek, Scotts Fork, in Garrard County, Kentucky. She had
an abundance of memories of her grandpa and grandma Hardin. Both of
whom were born and raised in Buckeye District of Garrard County.
One of the
first things you do when starting up a family history family tree
research is to determine where the name comes from. Where, what
district, what country is it from, this is to be used as a guide in
your study, where your research may take you. If you are lucky, and
with the help of family and friends, you can make that breakthrough
to the earlier times.
So . . .
here is the Hardin Family . . .
Recorded
in several spelling including Hardan, Harden, Hardin and Hardene,
this is an English locational surname. The famous Victorian
etymologist Canon Charles Bardsley gives it as originating either
from the village of Harden near the town of Bingley in West Yorkshire
or from other small spots such as Harden in Staffordshire, or Harden
near Hawick, in South Scotland.
Any
or all of these places could have provided nameholders although
interestingly the first recording is that of Richardus de Hardene in
the Hundred Rolls of the landowners of Wiltshire in 1273. Wiltshire
is a county which does not seem to have any association with a Harden
place. Other early recordings from similar rolls include Henry de
Hardene of Northumberland also in 1273. He may have had Scottish
ancestry, whilst Willelmus de Hardeyn of Yorkshire appears in the
Poll Tax rolls of 1379 and presumably was from the Yorkshire Harden.
According to the Oxford Dictioary of English Place Names this place
is first recorded as Haredene in the Pipe Rolls of the county in
1166, and translates as Hare Valley.
In
my research, I have seen it spelled 'Harding, Hardin and Harden, all
in the same family group. I don't know if this is a mistake on the
researchers part or if the family ment it that way. Also I have run
across the word 'fitz' with the name. Here is its meaning . . . Fitz
forms a prefix to patronymic
surnames
of
Anglo-Norman
origin.
This usage derives from the Norman
fiz
/ filz,
prononciation: /fits/ (cognate
with
French
fils
< Latin
filius),
meaning "son of", which was coupled with the name of the
father (e.g.
Fitz Gilbert, meaning "son of Gilbert") in the noble
families according to the Scandinavian tradition to add -son
behind the father's name. Although there are exceptions in which the
name of a more noteworthy mother (Fitz Wymarch), or parent's title
(Fitz Count, Fitz Empress) was instead used. It later was applied to
the illegitimate sons of princes.
The following attached picture is of the Royal Banner of Denmark.
.svg)
“The three crowned lions
represents the three kingdoms of
Sweden,
Norway and Denmark, guarded and guided
by their
hearts.”
Royal
Banner of Denmark
Hardin
Family
Culpeper
County, Virginia and
Buckeye
District,
Garrard
County, Kentucky
