Purdie

There are several possible origins for this interesting Italian patronymic name. It is clear from the long term research, that whilst the name is probably a developed form of the Germanic "bardo" meaning "the Axe", a pre 7th Century personal name, it could also be a variant of the gaelic "bard", a metonymic for a singer, poet or minstrel. It is also possible that the name is another variant of the medieval oath "pour dieu", now generally found as Purdy, Purdie, Pardie, Purdey and Pardoe, and probably the source of the earliest recordings. It is often forgotten that the vikings, who were great travellers, "lifted" names from Britain and "left" them in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the French at various times occupied most of Italy, also leaving their names behind. Examples include Clarinda Pardi, baptised on September 7th 1803 at Campobasso, Italy. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Parde, which was dated 1228, in the "County Pipe Rolls of Suffolk", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. 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.