This old-established and noble surname, widespread in Northern England and Scotland, is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from a barony of the same name in the parish of Chirnside, Berwickshire, and places so called in Northumberland ("Ydinton" in the 1196 Pipe Rolls); Somerset ("Eduuintone" in the 1086 Domesday Book); and in Wiltshire ("Ethandune" in 878, recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles). The placename in Northumberland is composed of the Germanic personal name "Ida" (from "id", to work), and the Olde English pre 7th Century "-tun", settlement, while the initial element in the placename in Somerset in the Olde English female personal name "Eadwine" (from "ead", prosperity, and "wine", friend), and "-tun".
In Wiltshire it means "a waste or uncultivated hill", from the Olde English "ethe", waste, and "dun", a hill, mountain. The name is first recorded in Durham in the mid 12th Century (see below). Other early examples include Adam de Edintun, who witnessed a charter by Earl Waldeve to the monks of Melrose, circa 1182, and Walter de Edynton, a Scots prisoner of war taken at Dunbar in 1296, and sent to Fotheringay Castle. William of Edington (died 1366) was bishop of Winchester and chancellor. Thomas Edington was christened on July 26th 1606, at St. Mary Madgalene, Bermondsey, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Aldanus de Edington, which was dated 1166, in Raine's "History and Antiquities of North Durham", during the reign of King Henry 11, known as "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Research into the possible origins of edington leads us to learn more about those who bear this surname. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname edington is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.
There is a considerable probability that edington has crossed the borders of its place of origin to establish itself, to a greater or lesser extent, in other parts of the world. With all the information we have today, it can be said that the countries where edington is most abundant are the following. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname edington provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
The deeds, the way of life, the places they lived, the family relationships they had, the jobs they held by those who were the first to be named edington are found in every look back in the history of this lineage. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname edington, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of edington developed.
It is common for genealogy and surname enthusiasts to provide us with information of special value, so the data we offer about the origins of edington could be modified. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about edington and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
We assume that there have been significant contributions to humanity made by individuals with the surname edington, even though not all have been documented to our present day. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname edington were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname edington who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.
The bibliography collects information related to the surname edington, which allows us to learn more about its meaning. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of edington are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of edington, and at the same time, of surnames in general.