Biddell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Biddell is one of the oldest family names to come from the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the Old English personal name Bita. Alternatively, the name could have been "derived from an official title, 'the beadle,' one who executed processes or attended proclamations." 1

Early Origins of the Biddell family

The surname Biddell was first found in Somerset, where John le Bedal, was recorded 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of Edward III) in Kirby's Quest. 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Geoffrey le Bedel in Kent, Martin le Bedel in Norfolk and Walter Bidellus in Lincolnshire. 1

Early History of the Biddell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biddell research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1615, 1652, 1662, 1738, 1745, 1750, 1774, 1775, 1778, 1779, 1786, 1821 and 1844 are included under the topic Early Biddell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biddell Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Biddell has undergone many spelling variations, including Biddle, Biddell, Biddelle and others.

Early Notables of the Biddell family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Henry Biddulph of Biddulph; John Biddle or Bidle (1615-1662), born at Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire, an influential English nontrinitarian, and Unitarian, often called "the Father of English Unitarianism"; Nicholas Biddle (1750-1778), one of the first five captains of...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Biddell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Biddell migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Biddell were among those contributors:

Biddell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Biddell, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1835

Biddell 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:

Biddell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

W Biddell, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841

Contemporary Notables of the name Biddell (post 1700) +

Chelsea Biddell (b. 1998), Australian rules footballer who plays for Adelaide in the AFL Women's (AFLW)
Kerrie Agnes Biddell (1947-2014), Australian jazz and session singer, as well as a pianist and vocal teacher from Kings Cross, New South Wales
Sir George Biddell Airy KCB PRS (1801-1892), English mathematician and astronomer, Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.