Show ContentsDinwiddie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Dinwiddie family

The surname Dinwiddie was first found in Dumfriesshire at Dinwoodie in the parish of Applegarth [1] where one of the first records of the name was Sir Alan de Dunwidi was listed as seneschal (a royal officer in charge of justice) of Annandale in the first quarter of the thirteenth century. Adam de Dunwidie witnessed a claim of lands (c. 1194-1214.) Years later, Alan Dinwoodie rendered homage in 1296 to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland. [2]

Early History of the Dinwiddie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dinwiddie research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1200, 1590, 1639, 1751, 1753, 1754, 1758, 1770 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dinwiddie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dinwiddie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dinwoodie, Dinwiddie, Dinswoodie, Dunwoodie, Dinwoody, Dinwiddy, Dinswoody, Dunwoody, Dinwoodey, Dinwiddey, Dunwordy, Dunswoodie, Dunswoody, Dunswoodey, Dimswoodie, Dimswoody, Dunswoddy, Dinswoddy, Dinswudy, Dimswudy, Dinwudy and many more.

Early Notables of the Dinwiddie family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Robert Dinwiddie (1639-1770), from Glasgow, was Lieutenant Governor of colonial Virginia from 1751 to 1758...
  • Washington was sent back with a letter to Dinwiddie informing him that he should raise the issue with Major General of New France in the capital, Quebec City...
  • Dinwiddie sent a small force of Virginia militia to build a fort at the forks of the Ohio River but that fort was run over by the French...
  • Dinwiddie was subsequently active in rallying other colonies in defense against France and ultimately prevailed upon the British to send General Edward Braddock to Virginia with two regiments of regul...
  • Dinwiddie County, Virginia is named after him...

Dinwiddie Ranking

In the United States, the name Dinwiddie is the 10,515th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Dinwiddie family to Ireland

Some of the Dinwiddie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Dinwiddie migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dinwiddie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Dinwiddie, who landed in Virginia in 1725 [4]
Dinwiddie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Dinwiddie, aged 40, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 [4]
  • Ann Dinwiddie, who arrived in Buffalo, NY in 1851 [4]
  • Robert Dinwiddie, who arrived in New York in 1855 [4]

New Zealand Dinwiddie migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dinwiddie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Dinwiddie, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "St. Leonards" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Dinwiddie (post 1700) +

  • Spencer Gray Dinwiddie (b. 1993), American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA)
  • Marcus William Dinwiddie (1907-1951), American silver medalist sport shooter at the 1924 Summer Olympics
  • William Dinwiddie (1867-1934), American journalist, war photographer, writer and colonial administrator
  • Traci Dinwiddie (b. 1973), American film and television actress
  • Bill Dinwiddie, former American forward who played in the National Basketball Association
  • Gene Dinwiddie (1936-2002), American blues saxophonist
  • William Dinwiddie, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for New Jersey, 1912 [5]
  • William Dinwiddie, American politician, Presidential Elector for Wisconsin, 1848 [5]
  • James F. Dinwiddie, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1980 [5]
  • George T. Dinwiddie, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 1900 (alternate), 1904 [5]
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Dinwiddie Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ubi Libertas Ibi Patrium
Motto Translation: Where liberty prevails there is my country.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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