Scammonden

This is a medieval English locational surname, which perhaps not surprisingly is recorded in almost as many ways as it is possible for the name to be spelt. It originates from the village name of Scammonden, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, a village which today is famous for being the site of a major reservoir, and one often in the news for being dry! The derivation is from the pre 7th century Norse word and nickname ''Skambeinn", meaning short legged, plus "denu" a valley, and as such may have referred to an early land owner called "Skambeinn" as in Skambeinn's valley, but equally could have some geographical translation as in a short valley or similar. The village is first recorded in an undated deed of the 12th century in the spelling of Scambayndene, and later in the year 1275 as Scambanden. The spellings of the surname include Scammonden, Scamerdin, Scamden, Scamerdine, Scamadin, Scammardine, Scamaden, Scamadyne, and Scamadine, and probably others as yet not identified. Most recording forms are to be found in Yorkshire, which would suggest that the majority of holders are probably ancestors of the original lord of the manor, whoever he was! Locational surnames are usually 'from' names, which is to say that they were given to people when they moved from their original homes elsewhere, but this may not be the case here, as all early recordings are local to the West Riding. Taken from the earliest surviving church registers these include such examples as: Roger Scamaden of Royston, near Barnsley on August 13th 1564, Margareta Scamadyne of Kirkburton, near Huddersfiedl, on January 6th 1578, William Scammonden of Darfield, also near Barnsley, on September 26th 1612, and Samuel Scamadine of Rotherham, on January 5th 1725.