This interesting surname has two possible sources. Firstly, the surname may be of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from any of three places called Tuddenham, in Norfolk, near Mildenhall in Suffolk, and near Ipswich in Suffolk, which are recorded respectively in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Toddenham, Todenham" and "Tudenham". All three places share the same meaning and derivation which is from the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Tudda", and "ham", homestead; hence, "Tudda's homestead". Locational surnames were given to the lord of the manor, and to those former inhabitants who left to live or work in another area, and in this way the spelling of the name was often changed with varying regional pronunciations. William Tudman is noted in the 1524 Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk. Secondly, the surname may be of early medieval English origin, and is an occupational name or a nickname for a keen hunter of foxes, from the Middle English "tod(de)", fox, and "man", man. In the modern idiom the surname has many variant spellings ranging from Todman, Tudman and Tadman, to Tedman, Teadman and Taddeman. On November 25th 1616, Mary Tadman married John Burton at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London. A Coat of Arms granted to the family is a silver shield with two azure bars, over all a gold lion rampant holding in the dexter paw a red rose branch, the Crest being a demi fox proper. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Juliana Todman, which was dated 1275, in the "Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 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.

© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2024