DURDEN is a common name in the United States. It is of English origin brought to America by colonists from Great Britain. Some of the variations found during my research include: Darden, Derdan, Derden, Derdin, Derdon, Dirden, Dirdon, Dordan, Dorden, Dordon, Dorton, Drayton, Durdan, and Durdin. It is highly probably that all forms of the name were derived phonetically by writing the names as they were pronounced in the local communities.
During the travels from the slave ships that arrived in Maryland and the trek to Virginia with their slave masters the Durden clan emerged. The Emancipation Proclamation enacted on January 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, announced slaves in the southern states were to be freed in hopes that they would join in the Civil War and ultimately help to win the war between the northern and southern states. Some joined in the fight and some chose to stay on the plantations and work as share croppers while others took the opportunity of freedom and risked it all to get out on their own.
From Virginia, the Durdens traveled north, south and west to freedom, starting new lives in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nevada and California.
It is my belief that many of the Durdens that settled in many of these states are blood relatives. However, it is possible that many are also only related by slave master. In either case, there is a high probability there is shared history somewhere along the way.
