Enden

This English locational surname recorded as Endon, and probably Enden and Endean, originates from the village of Endon in the county of Staffordshire. This village is variously recorded as Eanandun, Enedun and Enedon as far back as the year 1003, and certainly gave rise to the surname Endon, which is well recorded in the surviving church registers of the county from the middle of 17th century. The village name probably derives from the pre 7th century "ened-dun" meaning "wild duck hill", but this is uncertain, other suggestions being that the prefix is an early baptismal name "Eana". What is certain is that locational surnames were usually granted either to the origin lord of the manor, or more likely to people who left their original home for whatever reason, and moved elsewhere. "Elsewhere" may have been the next village, but it was then, and it remains so today, that one of the easiest ways of identifying a stranger, is to call him or her, by the name of the place, region, or country, from whence they came. The early church registers for Staffordshire include recordings such as Thomas Endon, a witness at the village church of Horton, on November 13th 1681, and Maria Endon, who married Arthur Goodwin, at Dilhorne, on March 25th 1714. The first recording of the surname may be that of Samuel Endon, at the town of Leek, Staffordshire, on December 13th 1646. This was during the reign of Charles 1st, known as "The Martyr", 1625 - 1649.