Waudby Family Name

The English surname Waudby is of local origin, being one of those names that was descriptive of the place where the original bearer once lived or held land...

His place of origin could be described by any object on the landscape, which could be easily identified; some of these became place names, other remained merely as an attribute to distinguish a particular man and his family. In the case of this surname, it has two separate origins.

On the one hand, it could be derived from the place Wauldby that is situated in East Yorkshire. This place was originally an Old English settlement and it literally meant "village on a hill/wold". The original bearer of this surname therefore, would have hailed from here.

Alternatively, the name could be derived from the village of Walby in Cumberland. Walby was originally a Roman settlement and the place-name literally means "village by the Roman wall".

Records of this surname in England date back to the twelfth century. An example of this was Tomas de Waldebi of Yorkshire who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1190.

In 1332, a William de Walby was referred to in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland. The prefix "de" in these surnames means "of" or "from" and it was often found in early instances of local surnames.

Blazon Of Arms

Or on a pile azure three martlets argent quartering vert a Chevron between three horses heads couped argent.

Translation: The pile, which is wedge like charge, is symbolic of the large timbers used in ancient fortifications. The horse denotes Intellect and Speed.

Crest

A martlet proper.

Translation: The martlet is a bird that is unable to leave the ground and is therefore depicted without legs.

Motto

Sola virtus invicta.

Translation: Virtue alone is invincible.