Contents [hide]

Biddle History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Biddle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the name Biddle begins with 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 Biddle family

The surname Biddle 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 Biddle family

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

Biddle Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Biddle has been recorded under many different variations, including Biddle, Biddell, Biddelle and others.

Early Notables of the Biddle family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

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 the Continental Navy, which was raised by the Americans during the American Revolutionary War
Edward Biddle I (1738-1779), an American soldier, lawyer, delegate to the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1775
Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844), an American financier

Biddle Ranking

In the United States, the name Biddle is the 2,921^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3

Biddle migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Biddle or a variant listed above:

Biddle Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Biddle, who settled in west New Jersey in 1664
William Biddle, who landed in New Jersey in 1678 4
William Biddle (1630-1712), an English Quaker and his wife Sarah Kempe (1634–1709) who landed in Quaker West Jersey, America in 1681, there they acquired 43,000 acres; together they were progenitors of the famous Biddle family of Philadelphia, their third generation offsprings 4

Biddle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Biddle, who landed in America in 1803 4
James Biddle, aged 38, who arrived in Virginia in 1813 4
William Biddle, who arrived in New York, NY in 1833 4
T B Biddle, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
Robert Biddle, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4

Biddle migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Biddle Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Biddle U.E. born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 5

Biddle migration to Australia +

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

Biddle Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Biddle, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Henry Biddle, English convict who was convicted in Coventry, England for life, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 20th August 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Miss Lucy Biddle, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Ann Biddle, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Canton" in 1838 9
Emma Biddle, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Canton" in 1838 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Biddle 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:

Biddle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Benedict Biddle, aged 14, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
Edward Biddle, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
Ann Biddle, aged 22, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
Mrs. Sarah Matilda Biddle née Bennett, (b. 1832), aged 24, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 19th December 1856 10
Mr. George Biddle, (b. 1826), aged 30, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 19th December 1856 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Biddle migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 11

Biddle Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

William Biddle, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with wife and two children and servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Biddle (post 1700) +

Jack Biddle III (1930-2024), American politician who served in the Alabama Legislature for 32 years
Jesse Thomas Biddle (b. 1991), American Major League Baseball pitcher
John Biddle (1925-2008), America's Cup Hall of Fame cinematographer and lecturer
Francis Beverley Biddle (1886-1968), American lawyer and judge, 58th United States Attorney General (1941-1945)
Livingston Ludlow Biddle Jr. (1918-2002), American author and promoter of funding of the arts, 3rd Chairman of National Endowment for the Arts
Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle I (1874-1948), American millionaire, inspiration for the play and film The Happiest Millionaire
Major General William Phillips Biddle (1853-1923), 11th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
Charles John Biddle (1819-1873), American soldier, lawyer, Congressman, and newspaper editor, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1861-1863)
Richard Biddle (1796-1847), American author and politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1837-1840), brother of Nicholas Biddle
Thomas Biddle (1790-1831), American military hero during the War of 1812, but is better known though for having been killed in a duel, with Missouri Congressman, Spencer Pettis
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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.
"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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CANTON 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Canton.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies