Peden
A Scottish surname best known from the Covenanter prophet Alexander Peden, likely a local family name that became established as a hereditary surname.
The #7,099 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,468 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Peden is most plausibly a Scottish surname formed from a place-name or from a local topographic term now obscured by time. The historical sources provided do not give a secure word-by-word derivation, but they show the name in Scotland by the 17th century and as a hereditary surname by then. The ending -en is compatible with Scottish place-derived surnames, though the exact original root remains uncertain.
History
The name is firmly attested in 17th-century Scotland, especially through Alexander Peden (1626-1686), the Presbyterian minister and Covenanter nicknamed the 'Prophet Peden.' That famous bearer helped make the surname well known in Scottish religious history. The name later appears in Scottish surname lists and is now found beyond Scotland through emigration.
Origin
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Fun fact
Alexander Peden became such a celebrated Covenanter figure that the name 'Peden' is often remembered in Scotland as much for prophecy and persecution as for genealogy.
From the historical record
“1658. PEDEN, Alexander, famed for his piety and zeal, and supposed powers of prophecy, was born in the parish of Sorn, Ayrshire, in 1626. After having obtained a regular university education, lie was for some time employed as schoolmaster, pre- centor, and session-clerk, in the parish of Tarbol- ton. According to…”
— The Scottish Nation, vol. 3