Recorded as Patten, Patton, Paddon, Pedden, Paudin, Paydon, and Peaden, this is an Anglo-Scottish surname. It has two distinct origins, each with its own history and derivation. Firstly it may be Anglo-Saxon, and locational either from the hamlet of Pedden, west of Sandwich in Kent, or from Payden, a locality in the Hollingbourne rural district of Kent. Alternatively it may be a dialectal variant of the ancient locality, Patine or Patten near Chelmsford, Essex, or of either of two places called Patton, the one near Easthope in Shropshire, and the other, north west of Kendal, Westmorland. The latter element of these placenames may be either the Olde English pre 7th Century "denn", swine-pasture, or the Olde English "tun, ton", enclosure, settlement, whereas, the former is the Anglo-Saxon personal name "Padda". The second possible origin is Scottish and Northern English from Pat, a pet form of the male given name Patrick, from the Latin "Patricius", meaning "son of a noble father", with the French diminutive suffix "-on". James Padyne was a witness in Edinburgh in 1514, and on September 15th 1586, Robert Paddon, was christened at St. Giles' Cripplegate, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Patten, of Patine or Patten, which was dated 1119, in the "Early Records of Essex". This was during the reign of King Henry 1st of England, and known as "The Lion of Justice", 1100 - 1135. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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