The Surname Rudden/Rodden

Paul Rudden got on to us wondering about the Irish surname “Rudden“. You can see his question at the end of this post.

Meaning of the Irish Surname Rudden.

Rudden (or Rodden) comes from the Irish Ó Rodáin (phonetically pronounced “Oh-Rudawn” ) – from the Irish for “a strong rod” – and is from a descriptive first name.

Home Counties of the Surname Rudden.

When anglicized as Rudden – it is usually from County Donegal. When anglicized as Rudden (and sometimes Roden) – County Cavan.

In Donegal – there is also the Gaelic sept of “Mac Rodáin”. This is sometimes anglicised as Rodden/Rudden – but more often as McCrudden.

Finally – Rudden (like many anglicised Irish names) is also a surname of English origin. A large number of planters came to Ireland from England and Scotland from the 1600s onwards. The majority of these “planter” names can be found in Ulster today.

Paul Rudden’s Question.

Do you know where the Irish Surname of Rudden Originated in Ireland or was it imported from the early 1700s?  Thank you

So, the answer to Paul’s question? Well – the answer is Yes and Yes. The surname Rudden can be both a Gaelic name and English Planter name.

If you would like to add what you know about the Rudden surname, tell the story of your Rudden family OR ask a question – please do so below in the comments section.

Remember – at Your Irish Heritage we consider an “Irish Surname” to be one that belongs in your family. It may belong to an ancestor who lived in Ireland at one stage. We consider old Gaelic, Viking, Norman and planter names to be all Irish – if they fit this criteria.