Recorded in a varied number of spellings including Daldan, Daldon, Dolden, Doldon, Dolderne, Doldin, Dulden, and others, this is apparently an English locational surname. We have to say apparently because although there is no evidence that the name could be of foreign origin, it remains a possiblity. The most likely explanation is that it originates from a now "lost" medieval village, which was presumably known by one at least of the surname spellings. However even this has not been proved positively, as no place in any of the surname spellings has been identified from the maps and gazetters of the last five centuries. This leads to another possible explanation that the modern surname spelling is a transposition of something else such as Dolton, a village in Devonshire, d and t being interchangeable in pre Middle English. Dolton was first recorded in the famous Domesday Book of 1086 as Duueltone, and the literal meaning is "Devils place." What we do know is that Thomas Doldon was a christening witness at St Brides Fleet Street, in the city of London, on July 21st 1619, whilst Richard Dolden was recorded at St Mary Whitechapel, also in the city of London, a century later on August 3rd 1719.

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