Show ContentsCaudwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Caudwell family name is a habitational surname, derived from any of several places in Scotland and England, such as Caldwell in Renfrewshire. The place-names are derived from the Old English words "caeld," which means "cold," and "welle," which means "well."

Early Origins of the Caudwell family

The surname Caudwell was first found in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Caudwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caudwell research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1342, 1500, 1845 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Caudwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caudwell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Caldwell, Coldwell, Caldwill, Cauldwell, Cauldwill, Cawldwell, Guildwell, Calewell, Caldewell and many more.

Early Notables of the Caudwell family

More information is included under the topic Early Caudwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Caudwell family to Ireland

Some of the Caudwell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Caudwell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Caudwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alfred Caudwell, aged 33, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Caudwell (post 1700) +

  • Sarah Caudwell (1939-2000), pseudonym of Sarah Cockburn, a British barrister and writer of detective stories
  • John David Caudwell (b. 1952), English businessman and philanthropist who has made his fortune in the mobile phones, ranked the 464th richest person in the world by Forbes (2012)
  • Christopher Caudwell (1907-1937), pseudonym of Christopher St John Sprigg, a British Marxist writer, thinker and poet
  • William Caudwell Plunkett (1799-1884), American politician, 20th Lieutenant Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1854 to 1855


The Caudwell 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: In Deo Spes
Motto Translation: In God we trust


  1. 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)


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