Waddington is an Old English

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

English origin. It is thought to derive from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

pre-7th century personal name "Wada", plus "-ing", meaning the tribe or people of", and "tun or ham", a settlement; and hence, "The settlement of the Wada people". It may be connected to be connected with the pre-7th century Old English name " Wade", and the verb "wadan" (wada) meaning "to go", or as a habitational name from the Old English word "(ge)waed" meaning " ford".

Origins and variants

Wadington, Waddington, Wodington, Wadiham, Wadyngton, and Waddingham, this is an English locational surname, derived from the Olde English name Wadingtun or Wadingatun. It originates from any or all of the villages called Waddington in Lincolnshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire, and Waddiham in Lincoln. Waditun (Waddington) an ancient hamlet at Craven in Yorkshire (quoted in Domesday Book 1086 as Widitun). When Surnames were first adopted, some 1,000 years ago, it was in or near this Hamlet or Village that the ancestors of all those who now bear its name (Waddington) resided and are of the Divine Stock of Woden." The surname Waddington was first found in Yorkshire where they were Lords of the manor of Waddington, a village and parish near Clitheroe. "It is natural to find the name crossing the border into Lancashire. This surname has ramified very strongly in the Northern counties." Indeed, another source claims the family did in fact originate in Lancashire: "The Waddingtons, who are also established in Lancashire, have their principal home in the West Riding, where occur a village and a seat of the name." The Canterbury Journal states : "The Waddingtons are, we have heard, of Saxon origin, being like the "Guelphs" lineal descendants from the renowned "Woden" (70 B.c.) as also from the Ferrands of Gas-cony, a house which in the 12th century gave Kings to Portugal."

Wada Dux

The Ancient clan chief Odin (b. circa 210), Woutan or Woden, was treated like a God by the Northern Races. The Historical Odin was chief of the Æsir Tribe, who were based in Sweden. His sons became the Kings of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. Descendant of Odin (Wodin/Waegdaeg/Wihtlaeg/Witta/Wihtgils/Hengest/Hartwake/Hattwigate/Hulderic/Bodic/Bertold/Sighard/Dieteric/Wernicke) was Wada Dux; an Anglo Saxon Chief of Lancashire and Yorkshire, and founder of the Township of Waddington and from whom the name of Waddington is derived. The name signified the town (ton) of the children (ing) of Wada. Wada's father was said to be King Wernicke (sometimes written as Warnechin, Warnikind, Vellikinus), 10th King of Saxony. His brother is said to be the famous clan leader Wudikind, who fought Charlemagne.

Eardwulf of Northumbria Eardwulf (fl. 790 – 830) was king of Northumbria from 796 to 806, when he was deposed and went into exile. He may have had a second reign from 808 until perhaps 811 or 830. Northumbria in the last years of the eighth century was the scen ...

fought a battle at Billington Moor against a nobleman named Wada in 798, who had been one of those who killed King

Æthelred I of Northumbria Æthelred (; c. 762 – 18 April 796), was the king of Northumbria from 774 to 779 and again from 790 until he was murdered in 796. He was the son of Æthelwald Moll of Northumbria, Æthelwald Moll and Æthelthryth and possibly became k ...

. The Waddington name may be traced in such places as "Wad-how, Wadsworth, Paddington, and strange as it may seem, in Padiham, the abode of Wada, since Pada and Wada were only variations of the same word. Their possessions extended over a large part of Yorkshire and Lancashire", In 798 Wada Dux and his wife Bell had issue son called Wade (Wada). The principal seat of the Waddingtons was at Waddington, near Clitheroe. Chief of the region circa 1187 was Walter Wadingaton and his wife Goda. Their son, also named Walter, had several children including Alice; who would go on to marry Sir Roger Tempest of Bracewell. Lands belonging to, or leased from land owners or the King by the Waddington family included Slaidburn, Bolton-by-Boland, Downham, Rimmington, Barshall Eaves, Chaigley, Edisford, Read, Padham, Altham, Clayton-le-Moors, Rishton, Accrington, Haslingden and Hoddlesden. An English branch of this family passed to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

in the first decade of the 19th century in the person of George August Henry then Jorge Augusto Henrique Waddington, born in 1776, son of George Waddington and wife Isabel, all native of

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

who came to Portugal in 1808 with the British troops commanded by

William Carr Beresford William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, (; 2 October 1768 – 8 January 1854) was a British army officer and politician. A general in the British Army and a Marshal in the Portuguese Army, he fought alongside the Duke of Wellington i ...

. He took part in the campaign of the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...

being then Aide-de-Camp of the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

, as a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

of the British

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

Nr. 38, entered in the

Battle of Roliça At the Battle of Roliça (17 August 1808), the first battle fought by the British army during the Peninsular War, an Anglo-Portuguese army under Sir Arthur Wellesley defeated an outnumbered Imperial French division under General of Divisio ...

on 17 and in the

Battle of Vimeiro In the Battle of Vimeiro (sometimes shown as "Vimiera" or "Vimeira" in contemporary British texts) on 21 August 1808, the British under General Arthur Wellesley (who later became the Duke of Wellington) defeated the French under Major-Gene ...

on 21 August 1808, and was the first British

Officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

to be promoted to

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, on 25 March 1809, of the 1st

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

Grenadiers A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...

of the Portuguese Army Regiment of Infantry Nr. 4, where he served and distinguished himself at the

Battle of Bussaco The Battle of Buçaco () or Bussaco was fought on 27 September 1810 during the Peninsular War in the Portuguese mountain range of Serra do Buçaco, resulting in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army. Havin ...

on 27 September 1810, the Battle of los Santos on 15 April 1811, the Second Siege of Badajoz on 6 and 13 May 1811 and the

Battle of Albuera The Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811) was a battle during the Peninsular War. A mixed British, Spanish and Portuguese corps engaged elements of the French armée du Midi (Army of the South) at the small Spanish village of Albuera, about sou ...

on 16 May 1811. He was baptized at Santiago Maior,

Castelo de Vide Castelo de Vide () is a municipality in Portugal, with a population of 3,407 inhabitants in 2011, in an area of . History It is unclear when humans settled Castelo de Vide, although archaeologists suggest the decision came from the morphology of ...

, and married there at Santa Maria da Devesa to Laureana Cândida Crato, born there, who lived at the Rua do Barão, 41 - 1st floor, in

Alfama The Alfama () is the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon, spreading on the slope between the São Jorge Castle and the Tagus river. The district includes the ''freguesias'' (parishes) of São Miguel, Santo Estêvão, São Vicente de Fora and part of th ...

, São João da Praça,

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, and died of a fulminant apoplexy aged 84 at the Rua do Poço dos Negros, 142 - 1st floor, Santos-o-Velho,

, at 3h00mPM of 18 December 1869 and was buried in a plot coffin at the

Prazeres Cemetery Prazeres Cemetery () is one of the largest cemeteries in Lisbon, Portugal; it is located in the ''freguesia'' (civil parish) of Estrela, in western Lisbon (formerly, within the parish of Prazeres). It is considered to be one of the most beauti ...

, Prazeres, Lisbon, by whom he had issue, now extinct in male line. It is tradition that this family issued from Wada (Wada Dux), who lived in the 7th century, being descendant of

Odin Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...

, Chief of

Æsir Æsir (Old Norse; singular: ) or ēse (Old English; singular: ) are deities, gods in Germanic paganism. In Old Nordic religion and Nordic mythology, mythology, the precise meaning of the term "" is debated, as it can refer either to the gods i ...

, from

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

, who, harassed by the Romans, emigrated to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

in the year 70 BC. Wada, Anglo-Saxon Chief of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

and

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

, was the founder of the city of Waddington, the city of the sons of Wada, and one of the members of the plot against King

, which ended by the defeat of the conspirators at the Battle of Billington, near

Whalley, Lancashire Whalley is a large village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley on the banks of the River Calder in Lancashire, England. It is overlooked by Whalley Nab, a large wooded hill over the river from the village. The population of the civil parish ...

, on 2 April 798. He had, by his wife Bell, issue, among whom Wade (Wada), who gave origin to the family. The main residence of the Waddingtons was in Waddington, near

Clitheroe Clitheroe () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for to ...

, house in which in 1464 King

Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 1471, and English claims to the French throne, disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V of England, Henry V, he succeeded ...

was refuged, after defeated at the

Battle of Hexham The Battle of Hexham, 15 May 1464, marked the end of significant Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part of the reign of Edward IV. The battle was fought near the town of Hexham in Northumberland. John Neville, ...

. Waddington Hall, currently still in possession of a branch of the family, was restored in 1900 by John Waddington and today belongs to his heirs. The arms of this Waddington family, as they are carved at Waddington Hall, are: broken argent and gules, fess of one into the other, accompanied in chief by two fleurs-de-lis and in point of one ax of arms, also of one into the other; crest: a naked arm curved proper, holding in the hand a spear and an ax of arms, passed in saltire, the hand finished by a fleur-de-lis gules; they bring as motto: PRO RECTO SEMPER. In these arms there is unknowing of some enamels and doubt on others.

Notable Waddingtons of Waddington

* Walter de Wadyngton (1217–1293), married Goda, son (Walter) had a daughter Alice (Tempest) * Thomas de Wadyngton, appointment (1348) by Sir John Tempest Knight as Lord of the Village of Wadyngton * Walter de Wadyngton (1340–1356), fought at the Battle of Poitiers * Thomas de Wadyngton (1350–1400), went to Ireland on the King's service in the company with John de Stanley, supplying Robert, Marquis of Dublin * Robert Waddington (1415–1480), inherited Hoddlesden, New Hay (near Hoddlesden) Hacking, Grimshaw, and Oakenshaw (Clayton-le-Moores); which was assured by the payment of £20 by Geoffrey Grimshaw (presumed his brother-in-law) * Thomas Waddington (1450–1530), married Alice Towneley of Towneley Hall. Held estates in Rishton, Burnley, Worston, Edisforth, Extwistle, Broad Holden (Haslingden) and Simonstone. In 1517 he transferred the lands Scaytcliff (Scaitcliffe) and Peneworth (Accrington) to Nicholas Rishton and to his Son Geoffrey. * Reynold Waddington (1485–1543), Greave of Haslingden and Ightenhill * Henry Waddington (1490–1550), in 1509 vs Vicar Henry Salley; over Estate of Hakking (in Blackburn); was given Lands in Rodland and Typynhill in Hightenhill. Ightenhill spans the River Calder to the north of Padiham and includes Gawthorpe Hall * Thomas Waddington (1493–1591), (in 1549) elected Greave for Clitheroe,

Notable people and fictional characters with the surname

Abe Waddington Abraham "Abe" Waddington, sometimes known as Abram Waddington (4 February 1893 – 28 October 1959), was a professional cricketer for Yorkshire, who played in two Test matches for England, both against Australia in 1920–21. Between 191 ...

(1893–1959), English cricketer * Alfred Waddington (1801–72), colonial entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada *

Andrucha Waddington Andrew "Andrucha" Waddington (born 20 January 1970) is a Brazilian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Career His several film credits include '' Me You Them'' (2000), Mention spéciale of Un Certain Regard in Cannes, an Official Select ...

(born 1970), Brazilian film director *

Bill Waddington William Joseph Waddington (10 June 1916 – 9 September 2000) was an English actor, comedian and co-author who was born in Oldham, Lancashire. In later life he achieved stardom as the pompous ex-serviceman Percy Sugden in Granada Television ...

(1916–2000), British actor * Charles Waddington (disambiguation), various people of this name: ** Charles Waddington (East India Company officer) (1796–1858), major-general Bombay engineers ** Charles Waddington (philosopher) (1819–1914), French philosopher and writer *

Conrad Hal Waddington Conrad Hal Waddington (8 November 1905 – 26 September 1975) was a British developmental biologist, paleontologist, geneticist, embryologist and philosopher who laid the foundations for systems biology, epigenetics, and evolutionary developme ...

(1905–75), British biologist who developed the theory of epigenetics * Charlotte Mary Waddington (1907–2002), British journalist wrote as

Mary Stott Mary Stott (born Charlotte Mary Waddington) (18 July 1907 – 16 September 2002) was a British feminist and journalist. She was editor of ''The Guardian'' newspaper's women's page between 1957 and 1972. Charlotte Mary Waddington was born in Le ...

David Waddington (Essex) David Waddington (1810 – 12 October 1863) was an English Conservative Party politician. He was born in Manchester the son of an iron founder. By 1836 he was running his own mill. Between the years of 1845-49 Waddington was Vice-Chairman of t ...

(), Member of Parliament (MP) for Maldon 1847–52 and for Harwich 1852–56 *

David Waddington, Baron Waddington David Charles Waddington, Baron Waddington, (2 August 1929 – 23 February 2017) was a British politician and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons from 1968 to 1974 ...

(1929–2017), English Conservative Party politician, Home Secretary 1989–90 * Edward Waddington (1670 or 1671 – 1731), bishop of Chichester, England * George Waddington (1793–1869), English traveller and church historian * John Waddington (disambiguation), various people of this name: ** John Waddington (cleric) (1810–80), English congregational cleric ** John Waddington (cricketer, born 1918) (1918–85), South African cricketer ** John Waddington (footballer) (1938–2019), Australian rules footballer ** John Waddington Limited, card and board game company named for one of its founders * Mary Alsop King Waddington (1833–1923), American author * Melville Waddington (1895–1945), Canadian soldier * Michael Waddington (born 1974), American military criminal defense attorney *

Miriam Waddington Miriam Waddington (née Dworkin; 23 December 1917 – 3 March 2004) was a Canadian poet, short story writer and translator. She was part of a Montreal literary circle that included F. R. Scott, Irving Layton and Louis Dudek. Biography Miria ...

(1917–2004), Canadian poet * Patricia Waddington (Fothergill, previously Ambler), Scottish roboticist * Patrick Waddington (1903–87), British actor * Paul Waddington (1893–1986), World War I

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

Peter Waddington Peter Anthony James "Tank" Waddington (6 March 1947 – 21 March 2018), often credited as P. A. J. Waddington was a British police officer and later an academic at the University of Wolverhampton, in the United Kingdom. He is known for his resear ...

(1947–2018), British sociologist and police officer * Tad Waddington (born 1962), American author and statistician * Sheila Waddington (née Sheila Willcox; 1936–2017), the first woman equestrian in the UK to achieve international success * Steve Waddington, an English footballer *

Steven Waddington Steven Waddington (born 30 December 1967) is an English film and television actor. He is best known for his starring role as the title role of Derek Jarman's '' Edward II'' and supporting role in Michael Mann's ''The Last of the Mohicans''. E ...

, an English film and television actor * Sue Waddington (born 1944), British politician *

Tony Waddington (songwriter) Anthony Brandon Joseph Waddington (born 1943) is an English singer-songwriter, record producer, film producer, screenplay writer, and media (communication), creative media executive. He became well known with Wayne Bickerton, as writer and pro ...

(born 1943), English singer-songwriter, record producer, film producer, screenplay writer, and creative media executive * William of Waddington (fl. 13th c), Anglo-Norman writer *

William Henry Waddington William Henry Waddington (11 December 182613 January 1894) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister in 1879, and as an Ambassador of France to London. Early life and education Waddington was born at the Château of Saint-Rémy in E ...

(1826–94), Prime Minister of France

References

{{surname, Waddington Surnames English-language surnames Surnames of English origin Surnames of British Isles origin

Origins and variants

Wada Dux

Notable Waddingtons of Waddington

Notable people and fictional characters with the surname

See also

References