Surname Waddey - Meaning and Origin

Waddey: What does the surname Waddey mean?

The surname Waddey is of English origin and is generally believed to be topographical, referring to someone who lived near a river crossing or ford. The name is derived from the Old English term "wæd," meaning ford, combined with the Old English suffix "eig" or "ey," which means island, waters, or water meadow. Therefore, Waddey may translate to "dweller near the ford or water meadow." Surnames that originated from geographical features were often used to identify individuals in the medieval period. As an old surname, Waddey also appears in different spellings, such as Wadey, Waddy, and Wady. It should be noted that the meaning of a surname may evolve over time and differ in various cultures and countries. Therefore, for a specific familial lineage, the meaning could be different, often tied to anecdotes, traits, or significant events in the family's history. It is always advised to trace back the ancestry for a precise interpretation.

Waddey: Where does the name Waddey come from?

The last name Waddey is most commonly found in the United States, primarily in the southern states of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. The number of Waddey households in the USA is in the thousands, but is concentrated mainly in the areas noted above.Lower numbers of Waddey households can be found in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada as well.

The Waddey family name is thought to date back to an area called Waddington, which is located in East Lancashire, England. The area is thought to have been settled by the Waddey family sometime between 1150 and 1300. In Scotland, the name appears as early as 1296, when a heiress named Elena of Waddey was recorded in a Middle Ages text.

The Waddey family is believed to have made its way to America in the early nineteenth century, when family members emigrated from England, Ireland and Scotland. Today, they are widely distributed throughout the United States, but the highest concentrations can be found in the Southern States noted above.

Though the name Waddey is not overly common outside of the areas listed, the Waddey family has made a great contribution to the tapestry of life in the United States and abroad.

Variations of the surname Waddey

The surname Waddey can trace its roots to a number of different origins and areas of the world. Some of the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Weddell, Weddel, Waddill, Waddel, Waddelow, Wadley, Wadell, Wedley, Weddall, Weadley, and Wadlow.

The most notable origin of the surname Waddey is from a patronymic Anglo-Saxon surname derived from the personal name ‘Wada.’ This name was in turn derived from the Old English name ‘Wiedu’ which means ‘wood’. The surname Waddey then reflects an ancestor who lived in or near a wood.

In Scotland, the Waddey surname has its roots in the place-name ‘Wedale’ , which can also be found as ‘Wedail’ or ‘Wedale’. This area can be seen in the historic maps of Scotland and is located in Selkirkshire, about two miles from Galashiels. The variant of the surname Wadlow is derived from the place-name.

The Belgian form of Waddey is Wadele, and is a habitational name derived from places in Belgium associated with this family. The surname Waitkewitz is of German origin, derived from the pet form of ‘Waid’, derived from Wiedu. While the surname Vadell may be derived from the Catalan ‘Vadell’, in which case it may be a variant of the name Waddell.

In conclusion, though the origin of the surname Waddey can be traced to a variety of sources, it remains connected by its patronymic Anglo-Saxon root derived from the Old English name ‘Wiedu.’

Famous people with the name Waddey

• Holly Waddey: Broadcast journalist and MSNBC anchor
• John P. Waddey: American lawyer and federal judge
• Justin Waddey: Professional ice hockey defenceman
• Sandy Waddey: Scottish footballer
• Gail Waddey: American theatre director
• Joel Waddey: Former college baseball player
• Daniel Waddey: British actor, writer, and producer
• Russell Waddey: Jazz bandleader
• Carl Waddey: American lawyer and editor
• James Waddey: Professional baseball player

Other surnames

WaddelWaddell