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[Surname] Biden
by Jenna (Jenna R)
8/27/2008, 8:17 PM
I am looking for the meaning of the last name Biden, borne by American vice presidential candidate Joe Biden It is likely an English name. Joe Biden comes from a line of male Bidens who lived in Maryland. William Biden, a great-great-great grandfather, emigrated from England to the United States sometime between 1780 and 1822. L'ecrivain doit se faire le voix de ceux qui n'avaient pas de voix.
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- Marc (picard)   +3
8/28/2008, 10:19 AM
Biden is definitely an English name but its etymology is not obvious. It would seem to be a variant of Bidden which was recorded as de Bydun and de Bidon in the 12th century, and Bidun in the 13th, all of which mean 'by (the) down'.
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- Jenna (Jenna R)   +2
8/28/2008, 1:34 PM
Thanks for your help. Does the "de" suggest that Biden has a Norman root? Or was "de" added to most surnames in England, regardless of the individual name's history? "Down" as in a grassy knoll, evolved from an Old English word rooted in Old Dutch and Low German.
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- Marc (picard)   +1
8/28/2008, 2:23 PM
The 'de' in question simply means 'from' such and such a place, and shows up before many names that are Anglo-Saxon in origin. Down is from Old English dun 'hill' which has cognates in other Germanic languages.
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- Jenna (Jenna R)
9/3/2008, 8:13 AM
Thanks for your help!
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