Sudduth Ancestry
The name Sudduth was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Sudduth family lived in Lincolnshire, at Sotebi, from which their name is derived. The surname Sudduth is thus, a local name, which means it derived from the name of a place where members of the family once owned land or where they may have resided. Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Sotheby, Sothaby, Sotherby, Southerby, Southby, Southey and many more. First found in Lincolnshire where Ralph of Sotby held the village and church of Sotebi from the Bishop of Bayeux. This village church is still famous for its Norman chancel arch.
