Show ContentsTeddy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh name Teddy comes from the personal name Tudur, an ancient Celtic name of unknown meaning. It is thought that the name, especially the form Tewdwr, may have also emerged as a Welsh version of the Latin Theodorus.

Early Origins of the Teddy family

The surname Teddy was first found in Herefordshire, where Tudor Trevor was Lord of Hereford, Whittington, and both Maelors. He was founder of the Tribe of the Marches, born in Denbigh, son of Ynyr Ap Cadforch, whose descendants intermarried with the distinguished families of North Wales.

Theodore (602?-690), was Archbishop of Canterbury, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia. "He studied at Athens, had a scholarly knowledge of Greek and Latin, and was well versed in sacred and profane literature and in philosophy, which caused him to receive the surname 'Philosopher.' At the time of Theodore's arrival the English church lacked order, administrative organisation, discipline, and culture. " 1

Early History of the Teddy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Teddy research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1401, 1406, 1411, 1485, 1486, 1499, 1500, 1502 and 1503 are included under the topic Early Teddy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Teddy Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Teddy name over the years has been spelled Tudor, Tudyr Tuder, Tudar and others.

Early Notables of the Teddy family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Maredydd ap Tudur (Meredith Tudor) (died 1406), Welsh soldier and nobleman from the Tudor family of Penmynydd and Owen Tudor's father, supported the 1400 Welsh uprising of his first cousin Owain Glyndwr, following the demise of Glyndwr's revolt, much of the Tudor family's lands at Penmynydd and elsewhere were forfeited to the English Crown; Rhys ap Tudur (died 1411), a Welsh nobleman and a key figure in the revolt of Owain Glyndwr, held the offices of sheriff and escheator of Anglesey as well as the Forester of Snowdon, outbreak of the...
Another 162 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Teddy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Teddy migration to the United States +

The Welsh began to emigrate to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s in search of land, work, and freedom. Those that arrived helped shape the industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. The records regarding immigration and passenger show a number of people bearing the name Teddy:

Teddy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Teddy, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Teddy (post 1700) +

  • Teddy "Edward Leifer" Leifer, founder of Rise Films in 2008, produced or executive produced all of its films and television programmes, including the 2013 Oscar nominee The Invisible War and 2018 Oscar winner Icarus and All That Breaths
  • Teddy Eugene "Ted E." Brewerton (b. 1925), Canadian-born, American general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1978
  • Teddy Tomblin, American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates 24th District; Elected 2012 3
  • Teddy Rooney (1950-2016), American actor and musician, son of Mickey Rooney
  • Teddy Gentry (b. 1952), American musician, member of the country music band Alabama
  • Teddy 'Zig Zag' Andreadis, American piano/harmonica player who has worked with Carole King, Guns N’ Roses, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Alice Cooper and many more
  • Teddy Keaton, American football coach
  • Teddy Richert (b. 1974), former French football goalkeeper
  • Teddy Pierre-Marie Riner (b. 1989), French judoka who has won five world titles
  • Teddy Tetzlaff (1883-1929), American racecar driver


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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