Show ContentsWadley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Wadley family

The surname Wadley was first found in Inverness-shire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) divided between the present day Scottish Council Areas of Highland and Western Isles, and consisting of a large northern mainland area and various island areas off the west coast, the shire was anciently both a Pictish and Norwegian stronghold, where they are believed to be descended from John Biset, son of Henry Biset, Lord of Cany in Normandy, who became a Norman Lord of the Aird at Bewley near Inverness. However, there seems to be no evidence of the existence of "Wardlaws of the Ilk."

There is a place named Wardlaw, near Beauly which has existed as early as 1210 when it was recorded as Wardelaue.

As far the surname goes, Henricus de Wardlaw, was the first on record to use the name. He received a charter from Robert the Bruce in 1330, for half of the Barony of Wiltone in Roxburghshire. [1]

Wardlow is a parish and linear village in the Derbyshire Dales and within the parish lies Warlow Mires, a small hamlet. The parish has always had a rather small population as seen in a census in the late 1800s showing only 171 people. The parish dates back to 1258 when it was listed as Wardelawe, and literally meant "watch or look-out hill" derived from the Old English weard + hlaw [2]

Early History of the Wadley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wadley research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1358, 1367, 1387, 1440, 1565, 1612, 1617, 1618, 1621, 1631, 1637, 1653, 1661, 1675, 1677, 1678, 1680, 1683, 1705, 1709, 1720, 1727, 1730, 1739, 1750 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wadley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wadley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wardlaw, Wardlawe, Wardlow, Wadlow, Wadley and others.

Early Notables of the Wadley family

Notable among the family at this time was Walter Wardlaw (c. 1387), son of a Sir Henry Wardlaw of Torry, Bishop of Glasgow (1367-1387); Henry Wardlaw (died 1440), Bishop of St Andrews and founder of the University of St Andrews; and Elizabeth Wardlaw (1677-1727), Lady Wardlaw, reputed author of the poem "Hardyknute."The Wardlaw Baronetcy, of Pitreavie, County of Fife, is a title in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia that was created on 5 March 1631...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wadley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wadley Ranking

In the United States, the name Wadley is the 7,055th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Wadley family to Ireland

Some of the Wadley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 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 Wadley migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wadley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Wadley, who arrived in Virginia in 1661 [4]
  • Robert Wadley, who landed in New England in 1684 [4]
Wadley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Wm. G. Wadley, aged 22, who landed in America, in 1894
  • Gertrude Wadley, aged 57, who landed in America, in 1896
Wadley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Eliz. C. Wadley, aged 66, who landed in America, in 1904
  • Horace Robert Wadley, aged 36, who settled in America from Wivenhoe, in 1904
  • Rupert H. Wadley, aged 26, who landed in America from Rorwhedge, Essex, in 1905
  • Horace Wadley, aged 37, who landed in America from Ipwich, in 1906
  • Norah Madge Wadley, aged 20, who settled in America from London, England, in 1907
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Wadley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wadley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Wadley, British Convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [5]
  • Mr. Thomas Wadley, English convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]
  • Mr. William Wadley, English convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [6]
  • Miss Elizabeth Wadley, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Diana" on 4th December 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
  • Mr. James Wadley, British Convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Wadley (post 1700) +

  • Marie L. Wadley (1906-2009), American co-founder of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee, Oklahoma
  • Veronica Judith Colleton Wadley (b. 1952), British journalist, former editor of London's Evening Standard (2002 to 2009)
  • John Borland "Jock" Wadley (1914-1981), English journalist
  • Trevor Lloyd Wadley (1920-1981), South African electrical engineer, best known for his development of the Wadley Loop circuit, recipient of the Frank P. Brown Medal (1970)

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Alfred John Wadley, British Sergeant, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking [9]
SS Atlantic
  • John Wadley, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
  • Amos Wadley, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking


The Wadley 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: Familias firmat pietas
Motto Translation: Piety strengthens families.


  1. 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)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  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. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diana
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  9. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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