Contents [hide]

Wardlaw History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Wardlaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Early Origins of the Wardlaw family

The surname Wardlaw 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 Wardlaw family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wardlaw 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 Wardlaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wardlaw Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Wardlaw 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...
The Wardlaw Baronetcy, of Pitreavie, County of Fife, is a title in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia that was created on 5 March 1631 for Henry Wardlaw, Chamberlain to Anne of Denmar (1565-1637). His desc...

Wardlaw Ranking

In the United States, the name Wardlaw is the 9,380^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Wardlaw family to Ireland

Some of the Wardlaw 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.

Wardlaw migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wardlaw Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Wardlaw, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 4
James and Samuel Wardlaw who arrived in Philadelphia in 1843

Wardlaw 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:

Wardlaw Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Wardlaw, Scottish settler from Dunfermline travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Strathfieldsaye" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 29th April 1858 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Wardlaw (post 1700) +

Lee Wardlaw (b. 1955), American author, known for her children's books 101 Ways to Bug Your Teacher, 101 Ways to Bug Your Parents, and See You In September
Jack Dalton Wardlaw (1937-2012), American journalist from McComb, Mississippi, political writer and head of the capital bureau for the New Orleans Times-Picayune
Kim McLane Wardlaw (b. 1954), American jurist, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1998-)
Henry Justin Wardlaw (b. 1963), 22nd Baronet of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, Scottish peer
Henry John Wardlaw (1930-2005), 21st Baronet of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, Scottish peer
Sir Henry Wardlaw (1894-1983), 20th Baronet of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, Scottish peer
Sir Henry Wardlaw (1867-1954), 19th Baronet of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, Scottish peer
Sir Henry Wardlaw (1822-1897), 18th Baronet of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, Scottish peer
Sir Archibald Wardlaw (1793-1874), 17th Baronet of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, Scottish peer
Sir William Wardlaw (1791-1863), 16th Baronet of Pitreavie in the County of Fife, Scottish peer
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Wardlaw 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.

Citations +

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)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html