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![Show Contents]() Kedwelly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Wales
The origins of the Welsh name Kedwelly go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Kedwelly once lived in the town of Kidwelly, which is situated in the Welsh region of Dyfed. The Normans noted the strategic importance of this town, which is bordered by the coastline and two minor valleys. The town features a magnificent castle which dates from the 13th century; however, this stands on the site of a previous castle built in 1094, by William de Londres. The surname Kedwelly belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Kedwelly familyThe surname Kedwelly was first found in Dyfed a former county, and the ancient Welsh Kingdom of Pwyll, Lord of Dyfed in South-west Wales, comprised of the present day counties of Pembroke, Carmarthen, and Cardigan, where they held a family seat from ancient times. Early History of the Kedwelly familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kedwelly research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1094, 1589 and 1747 are included under the topic Early Kedwelly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kedwelly Spelling VariationsThe Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. The earliest explanation for the preponderance of spelling variations is that when Welsh surnames were in Welsh and accordingly were difficult to translate into English. It was therefore up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Kedwelly have included Kidwelly, Kidwelley, Kidwell, Kidwall, Kedwell and others. Early Notables of the Kedwelly familyMore information is included under the topic Early Kedwelly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Kedwelly familyDuring the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Kedwelly: J.H. Kidwell, who sailed to San Francisco in 1851.
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