Show ContentsChadwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Chadwell name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Chadwell was originally derived from a family having lived in one of the various places called Chadwell in the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, and Wiltshire. Places called Caldwell exist in Warwickshire and the North Riding of Yorkshire. There is also a Chardwell in Essex and a Chardle Ditch in Cambridgeshire as well as a plethora of similarly-named places throughout England. The surname Chadwell is derived from the names of these settlements, which are ultimately derived from the Old English words ceald, which means cold, and wielle, which means spring or stream. [1]

Early Origins of the Chadwell family

The surname Chadwell was first found in Essex at Chadwell, a parish, in the union of Orsett, hundred of Barstable. "At the time of the Norman survey, the parish belonged principally to the Bishop of London, and some portions to Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, and others. [2] The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the place name was Celdeuuella. [3]

Early History of the Chadwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chadwell research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1614, 1640, 1642, 1644, 1689 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Chadwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chadwell Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Chadwell include Chadwell, Chadall, Shadwell, Chadwel and others.

Early Notables of the Chadwell family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • William Chadwell (born 1614), an English lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for Mitchell (1640-1644), he supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War

Chadwell Ranking

In the United States, the name Chadwell is the 8,211st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [4]


United States Chadwell migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Chadwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Chadwell, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1636 [5]
  • Thomas Chadwell, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1648 [5]
  • Dan Chadwell and his wife Anne settled in Virginia in 1651
  • Ann Chadwell, who landed in Virginia in 1651 [5]
  • Dan Chadwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 [5]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Chadwell (post 1700) +

  • Heather Chadwell (b. 1975), American actress, reality personality, entertainer, and CEO of Hollywood Heather, LLC
  • Jamey Chadwell, American head football coach at Delta State University
  • Robert Chadwell (b. 1952), American professional football player
  • William Chadwell (1781-1863), British engineer and architect
  • William Chadwell Mylne (1781-1863), British engineer and architect


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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