BEDDOW
Beddow is a family name of principally Welsh provenance, with established roots in both Wales and the adjacent English counties. The earliest recorded instance of the surname in its present form appears in the Marriage Licences of London, dated 1577, for Johanna Bedowe, whose widow licence was issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In Welsh tradition the name is derived from the personal name Bedo, a diminutive of Meredith (from the Old Welsh Morgetiud), which itself is composed of elements meaning *pomp* or *splendour* and *lord*. The common prefix ap or ab, meaning *son of*, sometimes combines with Bedo to form a patronymic. The surname was initially associated with Denbighshire and remains relatively rare; known variants include Beddoe and Beddoes.
Some early 17th‑century records mention individuals such as John Beddoe (1641) in the Shropshire Archaeological and Natural History Society’s transactions. Alternate spellings—Peddowe, Beddow, and Eddow—are noted alongside patronymics such as Beddis and Edess. The earliest appearance in this orthographic form dates back to the latter part of the 16th century.
There is also an English version of the surname linked to a geographical locality called *at the bedw*, a term for a prayer chapel. In the Anglo‑Saxon period Bedw meant *prayer*, and the name came to signify a person who lived or worked at such a place. This ecclesiastical origin associates the name with the church and its duties. Variants produced by medieval scribes include Beddow, Biddulph, and Biddulphs.
Other linguistic evidence points to the Old English personal name Bëda, common in medieval England and appearing in several spellings such as Beddoe and Beddowe. The surname is generally linked to the Welsh border counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Staffordshire, where members of the family historically held landed estates.
The modern distribution of the surname remains largely within the United Kingdom, with higher frequencies in England and Wales. Emigration in subsequent centuries has carried the name to Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, yet it remains uncommon worldwide.
Typical given names associated with the Beddow surname
Male
- Andrew
- Brian
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Ann
- Carol
- Christine
- Emma
- Helen
- Janet
- Karen
- Margaret
- Marion
- Mary
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Badawi
- Baddoo
- Baddu
- Badewa
- Bado
- Badoe
- Badoo
- Badou
- Badow
- Badwi
- Badzo
- Baido
- Baidoo
- Baidou
- Bdawi
- Beadd
- Beadoes
- Beadow
- Beadows
- Bedawi
- Bedda
- Beddew
- Beddo
- Beddoe
- Beddoes
- Beddon
- Beddons
- Beddos
- Beddowe
- Beddowes
- Beddows
- Bedds
- Beddus
- Beddy
- Bedeau
- Bedewi
- Bedo
- Bedoe
- Bedoes
- Bedon
- Bedos
- Bedow
- Bedows
- Bedu
- Bedus
- Bedzo
- Biddow
- Botwe
- Buetow
- Butow
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Beddow in...
Braille
⠃⠑⠙⠙⠕⠺
Morse
-....-..-..---.--
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Beddow are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Malted milk biscuit.
There are approximately 1,533 people named Beddow in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,260th most common surname in Britain. Around 24 in a million people in Britain are named Beddow.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Beddow
- Mike Beddow - Cricketer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.