Yewdall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Yewdall surname comes from the place name Yewdale in Lancashire, which is derived from the Old English word "yew," a type of tree and the Old Norse "dalr," meaning "valley." 1 Literally, the place name means "the dale where yew-trees grow"2

Early Origins of the Yewdall family

The surname Yewdall was first found in North West Lancashire at Yewdale. While three distinct sources agree on this origin, one differs. In this case, the author notes that the name could have been Norman in origin implying some of the family at one time emigrated to England. He notes that the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Ansgot de Ouvedale (Uvedale) in Normandy 1180-1195. The same source also notes Walder de Hudal in 1198. 3

Scant records are found today of Yewdale other than one source notes that it is a "valley at the north end of Coniston Lake." 4

Apparently at one time "a family of Udall, or Wedalle, owned the manor of Chingford Comitis, Essex, in the reign of Elizabeth. " 5

Another source notes that Alice de Youdall was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 and later, John Yowdall was listed in Cumbria in 1546. 6

Early History of the Yewdall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Yewdall research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1437, 1449, 1455, 1464, 1505, 1524, 1542, 1556, 1560 and 1592 are included under the topic Early Yewdall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yewdall Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Yewdall has appeared include Udall, Udale, Udall, Udle, Yewdale, Yewdall, Youdale and many more.

Early Notables of the Yewdall family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir William Uvedale (1455-1524), British soldier and courtier, of Wickham, Hampshire, the son and heir of Sir Thomas Uvedale of Wickham and of Titsey, Surrey, High Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex in 1437 and 1464. "The family name appears from the oldest deeds to have been D'Ovedale or D'Ouvedale. Other variations of the name are Uvedall, Uvedail, Vuedall, Udall, Woodall, and Woodhall. A writer in a sixteenth-century manuscript, desirous of identifying the Uvedale family with that of Wodehall, Cumberland, says, 'Thei call the name Woddall, and some call it Udall, and some Wodhall...
Another 108 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Yewdall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Yewdall migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Yewdall arrived in North America very early:

Yewdall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Yewdall, aged 15, who arrived in New York in 1895 aboard the ship "Berlin" from Southampton, England 7

Yewdall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Walter Yewdall, aged 20, originally from Keighley, England, who arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "Carmania" from Liverpool, England 7
Alice Yewdall, aged 30, originally from Keighley, England, who arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "Caronia" from Liverpool, England 7
Alice Yewdall, aged 54, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Yewdall (post 1700) +

David Lewis Yewdall (1951-2017), American Emmy Award nominated production sound mixer

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result