Bridwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Bridwell is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Yorkshire, as well as Lancashire. The surname Bridwell was also found in Manchester, and in the neighboring town of Oldham, where it still thrives.

Early Origins of the Bridwell family

The surname Bridwell was first found in Northumberland, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Bridwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bridwell research. Another 217 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1323, 1379, 1500, 1609, 1612, 1613 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Bridwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bridwell Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Bridwell has been spelled many different ways, including Brideoake, Brideoke, Bridoake, Brydoake, Brydock, Brydok, Bridduck, Bridock and many more.

Early Notables of the Bridwell family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Ralph Brideoake (1613-1678), the Bishop of Chichester. He "was of lowly parentage, being, according to Wood, the son of Richard Brideoake, or Briddock, of Cheetham...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bridwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bridwell Ranking

In the United States, the name Bridwell is the 10,002^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Bridwell migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Bridwells to arrive in North America:

Bridwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Bridwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Bridwell (post 1700) +

Jim Bridwell (1944-2018), American rock climber and mountaineer who was credited with over 100 First Ascents in Yosemite Valley, founder of Yosemite National Park's Search and Rescue Team
Gene Porter Bridwell (b. 1935), American seventh Director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center from 1994 to 1996
Lowell K. Bridwell (1924-1986), American journalist and official with the Federal Highway Administration
Norman Bridwell (b. 1928), American author and cartoonist
Edward Nelson Bridwell (1931-1987), American writer
Albert Henry Bridwell (1884-1969), American shortstop in Major League Baseball
Benjamin "Ben" Bridwell (b. 1978), American rock musician

Citations +

"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)