SUGDEN
Sugden is a surname of English origin, first recorded in the mid-14th century in the north of England. The name is locational in nature, referring to a place in the West Riding of Yorkshire that was named for its pastoral setting.
The etymology of Sugden is based on Old English words. It is believed to come from sugge meaning ‘sow’ and denu meaning 'valley', indicating a valley where pigs were kept or where wild boar were frequently found. An alternative derivation derives from the pre-7th Century Old English word sucga, meaning ‘sparrow’, or from the personal byname Sucga, combined with denn, ‘swine pasture’. Both readings point to a rural scene in which either the presence of sparrows or of swine pasture was a notable feature.
The earliest surviving mention of the surname is that of William de Sugden in 1362. He appears in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York, confirming that the family name was already in use as a hereditary surname in that century. Further evidence comes from the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire where a Robertus de Sugden and a Willelmus Sugden are listed by name.
In the mid-16th century parish records, a child named Marye Sugden was christened on 25 May 1556 at St. Mary's in Woolnoth, London, and an infant named Elsabet Sugden was christened on 28 July 1556 in Halifax, Yorkshire. These entries illustrate the continued presence of the surname throughout England.
One of the most distinguished bearers of the name was Edward Burtenshaw Sugden (1781–1875), who held the office of Lord Chancellor and was elevated to the peerage as Baron of St. Leonard's in 1852. He published a scholarly edition of Gilbert's work on the Law of Uses and Trusts and produced several other legal treatises that established his reputation in the field of jurisprudence.
Today, the surname Sugden remains a recognised English family name, its origins firmly rooted in the agrarian landscapes of northern England and its history recorded in both civic and ecclesiastical documents spanning from the 14th to the 19th centuries.
Typical given names associated with the Sugden surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Alison
- Anne
- Dawn
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Janet
- Julie
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Sugden in...
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There are approximately 4,030 people named Sugden in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,322nd most common surname in Britain. Around 62 in a million people in Britain are named Sugden.
Famous people named Sugden
- Mollie Sugden - Actress (1922 to 2009)
- Robert Sugden - Economist
- Claire Sugden - Politician
- Philip Sugden - Historian (1947 to 2014)
- Ryan Sugden - Football player
- Richard Sugden - (1871 to 1951)
- Yvonne Sugden - Figure skater
- Cecil Sugden - Army general (1903 to 1963)
- Henry Sugden - Cricketer and brewer (1859 to 1935)
- Sidney Sugden - Football player (1880 to 1930)
- Wilfrid Sugden - Politician (1879 to 1960)
- Louise Sugden -
- Mark Sugden - Irish rugby union player (1902 to 1990)
- Ronald Sugden - (1896 to 1971)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.