Hardin family of Garrard County, Kentucky

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.

“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