Ledwith History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Ledwith family

The surname Ledwith was first found in Oxfordshire, at Ledwell which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 1 where it was listed as Ledewelle and literally meant "spring or stream called the loud one" having derived from the Old English words "hlyde" + "wella." 2 At the time of the Domesday Book, the lands were listed as lands of the King had enough land for one plough and was worth 20 shillings at that time. 1

Early History of the Ledwith family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ledwith research. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1279 is included under the topic Early Ledwith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ledwith Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Ledwith include Ledwell, Leadwell, Lydwell, Leddwell, Ledwall, Leadwall, Leddell, Ledell and many more.

Early Notables of the Ledwith family

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

Ledwith migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Ledwiths to arrive on North American shores:

Ledwith Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Garrett Ledwith, who arrived in Virginia in 1696 3

Ledwith Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Morris Ledwith, who landed in America in 1851 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Ledwith (post 1700) +

Anastasia Ledwith (1967-2024), American disc jockey
Thomas A. Ledwith (1840-1898), American lawyer and politician, Member of the New York State Assembly (1863)
Michael Ledwith (1874-1929), American Major League Baseball catcher who played one game for the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1874
William M. Ledwith, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Jacksonville, Florida, 1882-85; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1888 4
Thomas A. Ledwith (1840-1898), American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 11th District, 1863; Member of New York State Senate 7th District, 1874-75 4
Charles H. Ledwith (1885-1954), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 13th District, 1939-40; Candidate for Mayor of Meriden, Connecticut, 1939 4
Martin Ledwith, Scottish actor, known for Comes a Bright Day (2012) and Heartbeat (1992)
Anthony Ledwith CBE, FRS (b. 1933), British chemist, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry from 1998 to 2000
Dr. Michael Ledwith, Irish author and teacher at Ramtha's School of Enlightenment
Jean Ledwith King (1924-2021), American attorney, teacher, political activist, and women's rights activist, inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1989

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html