Liddell
A Scottish surname from the River Liddel on the Anglo-Scottish border.
The #6,874 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 63,112 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally taken from the River Liddel, a border river in the Anglo-Scottish area. In other words, it began as a place-name surname for someone who lived near, came from, or held land by the river or the district around it. The deeper meaning of the river name is uncertain and likely very old, probably pre-English.
History
19th-century surname writers note the family among merchants of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and associate the name with the border river. The surname later became notable in Scotland and northern England, and it is borne by the well-known Scottish family that held the title Earl of Ravensworth. The spelling Liddell is the standard form, with Liddle as a related variant.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The family name is linked to a river whose name is older than English itself, so the surname preserves a very ancient place-name.
From the historical record
“Geor^^ Liddell and Rachael Isatt: ibid. p. 119. 1668. " Henry Isod and Anne Bartlett : ibid. p. 152.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)