Sidney or Sydney is an

English surname English names are names used in, or originating in, England. In England as elsewhere in the English-speaking world, a complete name usually consists of a given name, commonly referred to as a first name, and a (most commonly patrilineal) famil ...

. It is probably derived from an

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

locational name, '' �t þǣresīdan īege'', " t thewide island/ watermeadow" (in the

dative case In grammar, the dative case ( abbreviated , or sometimes when it is a core argument) is a grammatical case used in some languages to indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, as in "Maria Jacobo potum dedit", Latin for "Maria gave Jacob ...

).Reaney, P.H. & Wilson, R.M. (1997) ''A dictionary of English surnames, revised edition'' Oxford University Press, New York, There is also a folk etymological derivation from the French place name Saint Denis.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. (1988). ''A dictionary of surnames.'' Oxford University Press, New York, . "The name is usually derived from St. Denis but proof is lacking". Reaney, P.H. & Wilson, R.M. (1997) The name has also been used as a given name since the 19th century.

British peerage

The Sidney family rose to prominence in the

Tudor period The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began with t ...

with the courtier Sir William Sidney (d. 1554). His son Henry Sidney (1529–1586) became a prominent politician and courtier. By Mary Dudley, Lady Sidney (d. 1586) he was the father of

Philip Sidney Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

(1554–1586), poet and courtier under Elizabeth I,

Mary Sidney Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke (born Sidney, 27 October 1561 – 25 September 1621) was among the first Englishwomen to gain notice for her poetry and her literary patronage. By the age of 39, she was listed with her brother Philip Sidney ...

(1561–1621), married Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke and Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester (d. 1626). The latter was created Baron Sydney of Penhurst in 1603. Following Robert, the Earls of Leicester bore the surname Sidney: *

Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1 December 1595 – 2 November 1677) was an English diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1614 and 1625 and then succeeded to the peerage as Earl of Leicester. Life Sidney was born ...

(1595–1677) **The republican Algernon Sidney (1623–1683) was a son of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester. ** Henry Sidney (1641–1704), a son of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester, was created Baron Milton and Viscount Sidney in 1689 and

Earl of Romney Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Old Norse, Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "Germanic ch ...

in 1694. *

Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester (10 January 1619 – 6 March 1698) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1659 and became Earl of Leicester in 1677. He supported the Parliamentarian caus ...

(1619–1698) * Robert Sidney, 4th Earl of Leicester (1649–1702) * Philip Sidney, 5th Earl of Leicester (1676–1705) * John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester (1680–1737) * Jocelyn Sidney, 7th Earl of Leicester (1682–1743) The first creation of the title Baron Sydney was extinct with the death of the 7th Earl of Leicester in 1743. In 1768, Dudley Cosby, Minister Plenipotentiary to Denmark between 1763 and 1765, was made Baron Sydney (second creation), of Stradbally in the Queen's County, in the

Peerage of Ireland The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divi ...

. This creation became extinct on Lord Sydney's death in 1774. Thomas Townshend was created Baron Sydney (third creation) of Chiselhurst in 1783. He was later created

Viscount Sydney Viscount Sydney (an alternative spelling of the surname Sidney) is a title that has been created twice. The title was elevated twice from a barony, and once into an earldom. First creation (1689) The first creation came on 9 April 1689 when He ...

Sydney Cove Sydney Cove ( Eora: ) is a bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, one of several harbours in Port Jackson, on the coast of Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney Cove is a focal point for community celebrations, due to its central Sydney loca ...

and by extension

Sydney, Australia Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...

are named for him. * John Thomas Townshend, 2nd Viscount Sydney (1764–1831) *

John Robert Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney John Robert Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney (9 August 1805 – 14 February 1890), known as The Viscount Sydney between 1831 and 1874, was a British Liberal politician. In a ministerial career spanning over 30 years, he was twice Lord Chamberlain of ...

(1805–1890), created

Earl Sydney Caricature, published in '' Vanity Fair'' in 1869. Earl Sydney, of Scadbury in the County of Kent, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1874 for John Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney. Earl Sydney (1874) The titl ...

in 1874) Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Thomas Sidney, fourth son of Robert Sidney, 4th Earl of Leicester, was the grandmother of John Shelley-Sidney, whose son

(1800–1851) was raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as

Baron De L'Isle and Dudley Viscount De L'Isle, of Penshurst in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1956 for William Sidney, 6th Baron de L'Isle and Dudley, VC, KG, GCMG, GCVO (1909–1991). History This branch of t ...

. His successors also carried the surname Sidney: *Philip Sidney, 2nd Baron De L'Isle and Dudley (1828–1898) *Philip Sidney, 3rd Baron De L'Isle and Dudley (1853–1922) *Algernon Sidney, 4th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley (1854–1945) *William Sidney, 5th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley (1859–1945) * William Philip Sidney, 6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley (1909–1991) *

Philip John Algernon Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L'Isle Philip John Algernon Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L'Isle, (born 21 April 1945) is a British peer and former soldier. Life and career Lord De L'Isle is the only son of William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle and his wife Jacqueline (née Vereker), a ...

(b. 1945)

Other people

Other people with the surname include: * Angela Sidney (1902–1991), Tagish storyteller * George Sidney (1916–2002), American film director * Sylvia Sidney (1910–1999), American actress *

Donald Sidney-Fryer Donald Sidney-Fryer (born September 8, 1934) is a poet and entertainer principally influenced by Edmund Spenser and Clark Ashton Smith. Born and raised in the Atlantic coastal community of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Sidney-Fryer enlisted in ...

(b. 1934), American poet

Notes

{{surname, Sidney Surnames English-language surnames

British peerage

Other people

See also

Notes