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YOUDE is an English surname mostly found in Cheshire and Flintshire.
Contents
Variants of the surname are Youd, Eaude and Yould, however Youds is not part of this group.
The earliest record dates from 1427 and in 1562 the name appears in Little Budworth in Cheshire.
Origin of the name
Currently little is known about the meaning or origin of this unusual and rare surname, it is not listed in any books of British surnames.
This has led to theories of Huguenot, Flemish or Jewish roots which cannot be substantiated.
Viking roots are a more likely possibility as the Wirral peninsula was colonised by Norwegian Vikings from 902 AD onwards and Viking settlements also existed further inland in West Cheshire.
It is hoped that DNA profiling from suitable Youd descendants will prove or disprove this theory.
Early records
The earliest document located so far that mentions Youd or one of its variants are muster rolls of English soldiers serving in France during the Hundred Years' War.
1427 - John Eude, man-at-arms stationed in Rouen garrison
1430 - William Yoold, archer stationed in Avranches garrison
1437 - Davy Yoult, archer in field at the siege of Tancarville
The next early records are Parish registers listing baptisms, marriages and burials according to the law of 1538. However most churches only started to keep records a few decades later.
1561 - Parish records start in Little Budworth
1562 - Katrena, daughter of Thomas Yolde & Johanne Holbrocke is baptised in Little Budworth, St. Peter
1585 - Parish records start in Hawarden
1586 - Edward, son of John Ewde is baptised in St Deiniol's Church, Hawarden
The surname then spread to nearby towns and villages in West Cheshire and Flintshire, becoming relatively numerous in Frodsham, Hawarden, Oscroft, Kinnerton, Chester and eventually established in Liverpool from about 1740.
Over 40 variants of the surname were recorded in the 16th and 17th century, some examples are: Yewd, Yeud, Yeoud, Yowd, Yeowed, Yowood, Eude, Eaude, Ewd, Hude, Hewde etc.
Today only Youd, Youde, Eaude and Yould are in use.
Distribution of the name
670 people named Youd lived in England & Wales in 2002, together with 227 Youde, 104 Yould and 11 Eaude, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
The Youde surname has spread to many parts of the British Isles and through emigration also to USA, Canada and Australia. Key emigrants of interest to family historians are:
George Youde (born 1844 Wem) bef 1870 to Iowa
Samuel Youde (born 1853 Wem) aft 1871 to Iowa
William Harrison Youde (born 1861 Wem) aft 1871 to Iowa
Charles Guy Youde (born 1857 Wem) aft 1871 to Iowa
Bertram Edward Youde (born 1884 Levenshulme) 1908 to Toronto
John Fergus Youde (born 1884 Bury) bef 1914 to Quebec
Dennis W H Youde (born 1921 Chorlton) bef 1946 to Australia