Example Surname
 

Puddle

This hereditary surname is of Locality origin. Naming was borne thousands of years ago and initially there were just first names. Around the 11th century the Normans invaded England, with William the Conqueror, and introduced the first hereditary surnames taken from their estates in France and their newly acquired lands in England. These moved rapidly on with their bearers into Scotland and Ireland. They also brought with them a store of personal and occupational names with nicknames being formed from the Norman originals and a few from the Old Norse terms, that survived into the Middle English. Locality names are derived from placenames and describe someone who lived near a physical feature such as an elm tree, hill, river or church, or from habitations such as a town, village, farmstead or county. Continuing with our research of this surname our records show the following; A locality name meaning 'at the puddle', from a person who lived beside a muddy pond. This name is of English descent and is found in many ancient manuscripts in the above country. Examples of such are a Johanna del Podell, who was recorded in the 'Poll Tax', of the West Riding of Yorkshire, in the year 1379 and a Robertus del Podell, was also recorded in the same year in this ancient document. Names were recorded in these ancient documents to make it easier for their overlords to collect taxes and to keep records of the population at any given time. When the overlords acquired land by either force or gifts from their rulers, they created charters of ownership for themselves and their vassals. Other examples of this name were found in the person of a John Podel, County Somerset, who was recorded in 'Kirby's Quest', in the reign of Edward III and a John Puddell was baptised in Saint James, Clerkenwell, in the year 1574.