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) family ...

. 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 the T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is der ...

wide island/

watermeadow A water-meadow (also water meadow or watermeadow) is an area of grassland subject to controlled irrigation to increase agricultural productivity. Water-meadows were mainly used in Europe from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. Working water-m ...

" (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 a ...

).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 History of England, 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 Englan ...

with the courtier

Sir William Sidney Sir William Sidney (1482?–1554) was an English courtier under Henry VIII and Edward VI. Life He was eldest son of Nicholas Sidney, by Anne, sister of Sir William Brandon. In 1511 he accompanied Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy de Darcy into Spa ...

(d. 1554). His son

Henry Sidney Sir Henry Sidney (20 July 1529 – 5 May 1586), Lord Deputy of Ireland, was the eldest son of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, a prominent politician and courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, from both of whom he received ...

(1529–1586) became a prominent politician and courtier. By

Mary Dudley, Lady Sidney Lady Mary Sidney (née Dudley; c. 1530–1535Adams 2008c – 9 August 1586) was a lady-in-waiting at the court of Elizabeth I, and the mother of Sir Philip Sidney and Mary Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke. A daughter of ...

(d. 1586) he was the father of

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

(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 Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester (19 November 1563 – 13 July 1626), second son of Sir Henry Sidney, was a statesman of Elizabethan era, Elizabethan and James I of England, Jacobean England. He was also a patron of the arts and a poet ...

(d. 1626). The latter was created

Baron Sydney Baron Sydney (an alternative spelling of the surname Sidney) was a title that was created three times in British history. The title was later elevated twice into a viscounty, and from there, once more into an earldom. First creation (1603) The ...

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 a ...

(1595–1677) **The republican

Algernon Sidney Algernon Sidney or Sydney (15 January 1623 – 7 December 1683) was an English politician, republican political theorist and colonel. A member of the middle part of the Long Parliament and commissioner of the trial of King Charles I of England ...

(1623–1683) was a son of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester. **

(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 Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

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 Robert Sidney, 4th Earl of Leicester (17 December 1649 – 11 November 1702) was the son of Philip Sidney, 3rd Earl of Leicester, and the former Lady Catherine Cecil. Life As a child, Robert Sidney and his sister Dorothy had their portrait pa ...

(1649–1702) *

Philip Sidney, 5th Earl of Leicester Philip Sidney, 5th Earl of Leicester (8 July 1676 – 24 July 1705) was a British peer and Member of Parliament for Kent, styled Viscount Lisle from 1698 to 1702. He inherited the earldom from Robert Sidney, 4th Earl of Leicester and was succeed ...

(1676–1705) *

John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester KB (14 February 168027 September 1737) was an English soldier, peer, landowner, and courtier, and from 1705 to 1737 was Earl of Leicester, with a seat in the House of Lords. Life Leicester was born at his fami ...

(1680–1737) *

Jocelyn Sidney, 7th Earl of Leicester Jocelyn Sidney, 7th Earl of Leicester (1682 – 7 July 1743) was a British peer, known as Hon. Jocelyn Sidney until 1737. He was the son of Robert Sidney, 4th Earl of Leicester and Lady Elizabeth Egerton. He was educated at University College, Oxf ...

(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 Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

, Minister Plenipotentiary to Denmark between 1763 and 1765, was made

(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 divisi ...

. This creation became extinct on Lord Sydney's death in 1774. Thomas Townshend was created

(third creation) of Chiselhurst in 1783. He was later created Viscount Sydney.

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 locatio ...

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 John Thomas Townshend, 2nd Viscount Sydney of St Leonards (21 February 1764 – 20 January 1831) was a British peer and Member of Parliament. Early life Townshend was born on 21 February 1764. He was the eldest son of twelve children born to Tho ...

(1764–1831) * John Robert Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney (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 tit ...

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. 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 (b. 1945)

Other people

Other people with the surname include: *

Angela Sidney Angela Sidney, (January 4, 1902 – July 17, 1991) was a Tagish storyteller. She co-authored two narratives of traditional Tagish legends and a historical document of Tagish place names for southern Yukon. For her linguistics and ethnograph ...

(1902–1991), Tagish storyteller *

George Sidney George Sidney (October 4, 1916May 5, 2002) was an American film director and producer who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His work includes cult classics ''Bye Bye Birdie'' (1963) and ''Viva Las Vegas'' (1964). With an extensive backgro ...

(1916–2002), American film director *

Sylvia Sidney Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow; August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen and film actress whose career spanned over 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She was nominated for the Aca ...

(1910–1999), American actress * Donald Sidney-Fryer (b. 1934), American poet

Notes

{{surname, Sidney Surnames English-language surnames

British peerage

Other people

See also

Notes