Wadleigh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Wadleigh surname is a habitational name thought to have been taken on from the since lost place, Wadlow in Toddington, Bedfordshire. This place named in turn, is derived from the Old English personal name Wada, and the Old English "hlaw," meaning a "hill," or a "barrow."

Early Origins of the Wadleigh family

The surname Wadleigh was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1212 when John de Wadelaw held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Wadleigh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wadleigh research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1867 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Wadleigh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wadleigh Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Wadleigh include Wadlow, Waterlow, Waddilove, Waddley, Wadleigh, Wadylove, Waddilow, Waddelow, Waddilove, Waddiloe, Wadiloe and many more.

Early Notables of the Wadleigh family

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

Wadleigh migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Wadleigh Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Wadleigh, who landed in Maine in 1630 1
Robert Wadleigh, who landed in New England in 1684 1

Wadleigh migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wadleigh Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Phineas R Wadleigh, who arrived in Canada in 1836

Contemporary Notables of the name Wadleigh (post 1700) +

Lydia Fowler Wadleigh (1817-1888), American educator, principal of the first public high school for girls in New York City
Michael Wadleigh (b. 1939), also known as Michael Wadley, an American film director and cinematographer, perhaps best known for his documentary of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, Woodstock
Henry Julian Wadleigh (1904-1994), American economist and Soviet spy
Rear Admiral George H. Wadleigh (1842-1927), United States Navy officer during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War, eponym of the USS Wadleigh (DD-689), a Fletcher-class destroyer
Bainbridge Wadleigh (1831-1891), American politician, United States Senator from New Hampshire (1873-1879)

Citations +

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)