Hurdle

Recorded in a number of spellings including Hordle, Hordel, Hordell, Hordall, Hurdell, and Hurdle, this is an English locational surname. It originates from a village called "Hordle" in the county of Hampshire, the derivation being from the Olde English pre 7th century word "hord" meaning a treasure hoard, and "hyll", a burial mound or barrow. Hordle was recorded in the famous Domesday Book of England in 1086 as "Herdel" and later in 1242 as "Herdhull", although as to whether any treasure was found is not recorded. Locational names by their very nature are usually "from" names. That is to say names given to people after they left their former homesteads to move elsewhere, often in search of work. It was an easy means of identification for these strangers to be called by the name of their former homes. Spelling being at best problematical and local dialects very thick, soon lead to the development of "sounds like" surnames. In this case examples of the surname recordings have been taken from the surviving registers of the diocese of Greater London and include:Thomas Hurdle, christened at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, on April 18th 1699, and John Hordel or Hordell and his wife Frances, witnesses at St Pauls church, Covent Garden, on February 18th 1762.