Show ContentsDunwiddie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Dunwiddie family

The surname Dunwiddie was first found in Dumfriesshire at Dinwoodie in the parish of Applegarth 1 where one of the first records of the name was Sir Alan de Dunwidi was listed as seneschal (a royal officer in charge of justice) of Annandale in the first quarter of the thirteenth century. Adam de Dunwidie witnessed a claim of lands (c. 1194-1214.) Years later, Alan Dinwoodie rendered homage in 1296 to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland. 2

Early History of the Dunwiddie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunwiddie research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1200, 1590, 1639, 1751, 1753, 1754, 1758, 1770 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dunwiddie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunwiddie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dinwoodie, Dinwiddie, Dinswoodie, Dunwoodie, Dinwoody, Dinwiddy, Dinswoody, Dunwoody, Dinwoodey, Dinwiddey, Dunwordy, Dunswoodie, Dunswoody, Dunswoodey, Dimswoodie, Dimswoody, Dunswoddy, Dinswoddy, Dinswudy, Dimswudy, Dinwudy and many more.

Early Notables of the Dunwiddie family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Robert Dinwiddie (1639-1770), from Glasgow, was Lieutenant Governor of colonial Virginia from 1751 to 1758. Some claim that his actions in trying to protect the French expansion into the Ohio Country, an area held by the Ohio Company, of which he was a stockholder may have precipitated the French and Indian War. In 1753, he sent a young George Washington, aged 21 to warn the French to withdraw from their recently built Fort Presque Isle near Lake Erie. Washington was sent back with a letter to Dinwiddie informing him that he should raise...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dunwiddie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Dunwiddie family to Ireland

Some of the Dunwiddie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


New Zealand Dunwiddie 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:

Dunwiddie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Peter Dunwiddie, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Beauty" in 1863

Contemporary Notables of the name Dunwiddie (post 1700) +

  • Charlotte Dunwiddie (1907-1995), American sculptor
  • Foster Wilfred Dunwiddie, American co-founder of Miller Whitehead Dunwiddie Architects in 1963 and author of Genealogy of the Dunwiddie family: the descendants of Samuel Dunwiddie of Kent County, Delaware


The Dunwiddie 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: Ubi Libertas Ibi Patrium
Motto Translation: Where liberty prevails there is my country.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. 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)


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