Contents [hide]

Waddy History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Waddy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
Ireland

The Waddy surname comes from a Scandinavian personal name, which came from the Old Norse "Valþiófr," composed of the elements "val" meaning "battle," and "þiofr," or "thief."

Early Origins of the Waddy family

The surname Waddy was first found in Roxburghshire where they had been Lords of the manor of Waldeve, near Kelso, from ancient times. 1

"This family, long settled near Kelso, co. Roxburgh, have at different times written themselves Waitho, Watho, Waltho, and Waldie. " 2

However another source notes that the family could have originated further south in England: "As Waltho or Waldie the name crept northwards into Roxburghshire, and there the surname has flourished for centuries." 3

Early History of the Waddy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waddy research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1152, 1400, 1439, 1508, 1526, 1531 and 1547 are included under the topic Early Waddy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waddy Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Waldie, Waddy, Waddie, Waldy, Waitho, Waltho and others.

Early Notables of the Waddy family

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

Waddy Ranking

In the United States, the name Waddy is the 13,886^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Waddy family to Ireland

Some of the Waddy family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waddy migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Waddy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Antho Waddy, who arrived in Virginia in 1648 5
Elizabeth Waddy, who landed in Maryland in 1664 5
Thomas Waddy, who landed in Maryland in 1665 5
Henry Waddy, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1682 5
Henry Waddy who settled in Delaware in 1682

Waddy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mr. Waddy, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1764

Waddy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Waddy, who arrived in New York in 1835 5

Waddy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Samuel Waddy, aged 30, who landed in America from Birkenhead, England, in 1910
Ernest Alfred Waddy, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1911
Margaret E. Waddy, aged 31, who landed in America from Berkenhead, England, in 1911
Albert Wilfred Waddy, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1911
Cynthia Mary Waddy, aged 26, who settled in America from Yapton, England, in 1921
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Waddy migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Waddy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edward Waddy, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Competitor" in 1846 6
Alfred Waddy, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" in 1850 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Waddy (post 1700) +

Billy Waddy (1954-2022), American football wide receiver from Wharton, Texas who played seven seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings (1977-1984)
Jude Michael Waddy (b. 1975), former professional American NFL football linebacker
Joseph Cornelius Waddy (1911-1978), United States federal judge
Colonel John Llewellyn Waddy OBE (1920-2020), British Army officer who served during the Second World War, Palestine and the Malayan Emergency
Colonel John Llewellyn Waddy OBE (b. 1920), former member of the British Army, director of the SAS
Samuel Danks Waddy (1830-1902), English politician
John Lloyd Waddy OBE, DFC (1916-1987), Australian senior officer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
John Lloyd Waddy, Australian fighter pilot and flying ace in the Royal Australian Air Force, during World War II, credited with 15½ aerial victories
J. Waddy Tate (1872-1938), American politician, Mayor of Dallas, Texas, 1929-31; Defeated, 1927 8

The Waddy 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: Fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) COMPETITOR 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Competitor.gif
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SAMUEL BODDINGTON 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850SamuelBoddington.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html