Wardlaw is a first name and surname of Scottish origin.

The Wardlaw tartan pattern.[1]

Wardlaw loosely translates to "watcher of the hill". The original Wardlaws resided in the Scottish highlands, hence "watch of the hill," where as Wardlows resided in the Scottish lowlands.

The modern placenames of Wardlaw stem from the old English combination of watch and mound hill. Those being weard ‘watch’ + hlāw ‘mound hill’.[2] Other representations of Wardlaw throughout history are "Geard-hlaw", and "Wardelaue".[3]

Family Motto: "Famalias Firmat Pietas." ("Religion Strengthens Families.") [4]

Origins

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Wardlaw according to Playfair in his British Family Antiquity, Vol. VIII, published in 1811[5] is amongst the oldest in Scotland. The surname most likely traces it place of origin to Kirkhill, Highland within the Inverness region. There the parish was formally called Wardlaw with origins tracing back to the 13th century.[6] The first recordings of Wardlaw are said to have occurred around 1210 AD but the first certain recording appeared when "Henricus de Wardlaw was given a charter for half of the barony of Wiltone, in the county of Roxburgh."[3] Though the surname appeared as Wardelaue.

Persons

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Peerage

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Places

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References

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  1. ^ "Clan Wardlaw - Wardlaw Tartan". www.clanwardlaw.com.
  2. ^ "Wardlaw Name Meaning & Wardlaw Family History at Ancestry.com®". www.ancestry.com.
  3. ^ a b "Surname Database: Wardlaw Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database.
  4. ^ "Home". ClanCentral.
  5. ^ "Barter Books : Playfair, William : The Baronetage of Scotland. British Family Antiquity: Illustrative of the Origin and Progress of the Rank Honours and Personal Merit of the Nobility of the United Kingdom, .. Volume VIII. Containing the Baronetage of Scotland". www.barterbooks.co.uk.
  6. ^ "History - Kirkhill Church".
  7. ^ "Clan Wardlaw - Scotland". www.clanwardlaw.com.