Kidwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

The origins of the Welsh name Kidwell go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Kidwell 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 Kidwell belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kidwell family

The surname Kidwell 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 Kidwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kidwell research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1094, 1589 and 1747 are included under the topic Early Kidwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kidwell Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Kidwell has seen various spelling variations: Kidwelly, Kidwelley, Kidwell, Kidwall, Kedwell and others.

Early Notables of the Kidwell family

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

Kidwell Ranking

In the United States, the name Kidwell is the 4,201^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Kidwell migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Kidwell:

Kidwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J. H. Kidwell, who sailed to San Francisco in 1851
J H Kidwell, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Kidwell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John E. Kidwell, who immigrated to America, in 1906
Mabel Kidwell, aged 36, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
Edioh Kidwell, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Gloucester, England, in 1909
Herbert Kidwell, aged 17, who landed in America, in 1917
F.R. Kidwell, aged 46, who landed in America, in 1918
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Kidwell (post 1700) +

Homer Baird Kidwell (1911-2000), American lawyer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii (1975-1979)
Wayne L. Kidwell (b. 1938), retired Idaho Supreme Court justice and a former Idaho state attorney general
Zedekiah Kidwell (1814-1872), nineteenth century American politician, physician, lawyer, teacher and clerk
Catharine Kidwell (1921-2002), American novelist
Robert H. Kidwell, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
Zedekiah Kidwell (1814-1872), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Virginia State House of Delegates, 1842-45, 1849-52; Delegate to Virginia State Constitutional Convention, 1849 3
Wayne Kidwell, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Idaho, 1972; Idaho State Attorney General, 1975-79; justice of Idaho State Supreme Court, 1999-2004 3
Lauren Kidwell, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 2004 3
Jim Kidwell (b. 1950), American Republican politician, Police officer; supervisor of Niles Township, Michigan, 2009-12 3
David Kidwell (b. 1977), New Zealand rugby league player in the National Rugby League Competition

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html