WADDELL
Waddell is a surname of both English and Scottish provenance, whose earliest references are found within the British Isles. The name is etymologically linked to Gaelic linguistic roots and is associated with a Christian heritage common to the northern and western isles.
The modern spelling Waddell hails from the Old English wad, meaning a ford or shallow part of a river, coupled with well, denoting a spring or stream. Consequently, the surname is a locational reference for an inhabitant or worker situated near such a crossing or watercourse. Earlier forms of the name included Waddill and Wadell, which are recorded in parish registers and land charters dated to the late Middle Ages.
Additional scholarship points to the parish of Wedale, the former designation of Stow in Midlothian, as a further origin. The placename comprises the Old English prefix wedd (pledge or security) or its Old Norse equivalent veth, joined with the element dael or the Old Norse dalr, meaning valley. In the 13th and 14th centuries the name appears in several variations, notably Vedayle (1344), Waldale (1359), Wedalle (1400), and Wadel (1505). These spellings attest to the name’s use among landholders and clergy, such as Stephen de Wedale, who witnessed a charter in 1221, and Symone de Wedale, canon of Holyrood who became Bishop of Galloway in 1327.
The earliest documented instance of the surname dates from 1204, when Adam de Wedale was recorded as an outlaw of the King of Scots, a deed noted in a calendar of documents pertaining to the reign of William the Lion (1166–1214). The family’s continuity is further demonstrated by a christening entry dated 1 January 1682, in which John, son of Robert Waddell, is recorded at St. Andrew's, Holborn, London.
A granted coat of arms for the Waddell family features an azure field with a chequy saltire of gold and red, flanked by four silver buckles, and a crest of a red lion’s head erased. The family motto, "Orna verum", translates from Latin as adorn the truth, underscoring a sense of integrity valued within the lineage.
Typical given names associated with the Waddell surname
Male
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- George
- Ian
- James
- John
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Alison
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jean
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
- Waddel
- Waddill
- Weddell
- Weddel
- Weddle
- Waddle
- Waddall
- Waddele
- Waddelow
- Waddlell
- Wadel
- Wadeley
- Wadell
- Wadelow
- Wadely
- Wadl
- Wadle
- Wadwell
- Waidele
- Waidle
- Waitle
- Watal
- Watdell
- Watel
- Watell
- Watola
- Wattel
- Wattell
- Wattle
- Weadle
- Wedale
- Wedall
- Weddal
- Weddall
- Weddele
- Weddill
- Wedel
- Wedell
- Wedl
- Wedle
- Weedal
- Weedale
- Weedall
- Weedell
- Weedle
- Weidl
- Weidle
- Wettle
- Wheatle
- Wheedale
- Wheedall
- Wheedle
- Whettal
- Whettall
- Whettel
- Whettell
- Whettle
- Whiddell
- Whital
- Whitall
- Whiteall
- Whitel
- Whitelee
- Whitell
- Whitla
- Whitle
- Whitlie
- Whittal
- Whittale
- Whittall
- Whittel
- Whittell
- Whittill
- Whittla
- Whittle
- Widall
- Widdal
- Widdall
- Widdell
- Widdle
- Widel
- Widell
- Widle
- Widlo
- Witlea
- Wittal
- Wittall
- Wittel
- Wittell
- Wittl
- Wittle
- Wittul
- Wodall
- Woddall
- Woddell
- Woodal
- Woodale
- Woodall
- Wooddall
- Wooddell
- Woodell
- Woodill
- Woodle
- Woodlee
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Waddell in...
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There are approximately 4,664 people named Waddell in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,019th most common surname in Britain. Around 72 in a million people in Britain are named Waddell.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Waddell
- Justine Waddell - Actress
- Sid Waddell - Sports commentator (1940 to 2012)
- Doreen Waddell - Singer (1965 to 2002)
- Willie Waddell - Scottish football player (1921 to 1992)
- Martin Waddell - Children's writer
- Helen Waddell - Irish poet (1889 to 1965)
- Laurence Waddell - Explorer (1854 to 1938)
- Ricky Waddell - Scottish football player
- Hugh Waddell - Scottish rugby league football player (1958 to 2019)
- Gordon Waddell - Scottish rugby union player (1937 to 2012)
- Kerr Waddell - Scottish football player
- Ian Waddell - Canadian politician
- Michael Osborne Waddell - Officer (1922 to 2015)
- Herbert Waddell - Scottish rugby union football player (1902 to 1988)
- Tom Waddell - Major League Baseball pitcher (1958 to 2019)
- Kyle Waddell - Scottish curler
- Coslett Herbert Waddell - Irish botanist (1858 to 1919)
- Winifred Waddell - -born Australian botanist (1884 to 1972)
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.