Kidder
An English occupational surname for a huckster or peddler—someone who carried goods about for sale.
The #5,179 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,767 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually explained as an occupational surname meaning “one who travels with goods for sale,” essentially a huckster or pedlar. Lower connects it with a northern word for dealing or hawking, and later writers repeat that sense. The deeper word origin is not completely settled, but the surname clearly points to trade and street or roadside selling.
History
Lower says most English bearers of Kidder could be traced to Maresfield in Sussex as far back as the reign of Edward II, suggesting an old local concentration in southern England. The name later appears in London records and spread to North America, where it is now best known. Bardsley and Barber both treat it as an occupational name tied to hawking or petty trade.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname writers noted that Kidder and Kidman were often grouped together as names for a pedlar or huckster.
From the historical record
“township CO. York. KIDDER. One who travels with goods for sale. " A huckster who carries corn, vic- tuals, &c., up and down to sell." Bailey. The Gothic hjfa signifies to deal or hawk. Most if not all the Kidders of England spring fi-om Maresfield, co. Sussex, where they may be traced liack as far as the reign of…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Kidder
- Margot Kidder (1948–2018)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.