indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from location)
Other Forms FormsWeddle, Waddell, Woodle
Meaning & History
Derived from Wedale, the original name of the parish of Stow in Scotland, possibly composed of Old English weoh "idol, image; temple, sacred place", weod "weed, herb", or wedd "pledge, contract" combined with dæl "dale, valley". A famous bearer is James Weddell, a Scottish navigator and seal hunter who sailed a record 7.69 degrees south of the Antarctic Circle. The Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddelli) is named after him.