Tidwell
An English surname most likely taken from a place-name, originally meaning someone from or near Tidwell/Tidwells.
The #1,699 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 14,580 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Tidwell is generally treated as a locational surname, formed from an English place-name. The first element is likely the Old English personal name or word "Tid" / "tīd," while the second is "wella," meaning a spring or stream, though the exact local source is not certain. In broad terms, the name points to someone who lived by or came from a place identified by a spring or well.
History
The single excerpt provided only shows Tidwell as the name of a Devon family in the 16th and 17th centuries, which supports its use as an established English surname by that period. Later the name became more visible in the United States, where it is now most commonly encountered. Because the source evidence here is incidental rather than a direct dictionary entry, the place-name derivation should be treated as likely rather than proven from the excerpt alone.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is uncommon but firmly established: more than 21,000 people bore it in the U.S. Census of 2010.
From the historical record
“families in the county in the 16th and 17th centuries. There were the Arscots of Hols worthy, Annery, Tidwell, and Tetcot (W.). Arthur Arscott, a Devonshire gentleman, contributed £25 to the Armada fund in 1588 (Sp.). Arscot was the name of a church- warden of Ashburton in 1500 (A.) Robert Avert, of Devon, gave £25…”
— Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (county distribution)