Caldwell
A place-based surname meaning “cold well,” originally for someone from a locality by a cold spring.
The #327 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,286 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Caldwell comes from Old English elements meaning “cold” and “well” or “spring.” It was first used for people who lived in or came from places called Caldwell or Coldwell, names given to settlements near a cold spring or stream. The surname is found in several English counties, which helps explain why it developed independently in more than one locality.
History
The name is widely recorded in medieval England and later spread into Scotland and Ireland, where local branches became established. Historical dictionaries also note variant spellings such as Coldwell, Cawdwell, and Caudle. In Scotland, families of Caldwell became especially notable in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is transparent enough to read almost like modern English: it literally points to a “cold well,” one of the clearest examples of a landscape surname.
From the historical record
“CALDERWOOD. See Calder. CALDWELL. " The cold well." Seve- ral localities in various counties are so de- signated. CALE. CAIL. CALLIN. CALKIN. Api^arently derivatives of some personal name — p)Ossibly Charles. CALEY. See Cayley. The ILR. hoAv- ever show us Le Caly and Le Calj'e — appa- rently denoting some employment.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom