Surname Bedward - Meaning and Origin
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Bedward: What does the surname Bedward mean?
The surname Bedward is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from Old English personal names and geographical locations. The first part "Bed-" may come from a personal name such as "Beda", a popular English name during the 8th and 9th centuries. The second part "-ward" could be derived from "weard" meaning "guard" or "protector". Hence, Bedward might be interpreted as "Beda's guard" or "protected by Beda". It could also be a variant of "Bedworth", a town in England, suggesting an ancestral link to that location. Surnames weren't commonly used until the Norman Conquest in 1066, and they were often attached to individuals as a way to denote personal characteristics, occupation, or place of origin. The variations in the spelling of this surname, which include Bedward, Bedwards, and others, occurred due to the lack of standardization in English spelling prior to the creation of the first dictionaries. As a result, names were often written as they sounded, leading to different spellings across different documents and regions.
Order DNA origin analysisBedward: Where does the name Bedward come from?
The surname Bedward is of Anglo-Saxon origin, specifically from Britain and it likely derives from some local or geographical feature, although its exact origins are somewhat uncertain. It may have originated from the Old English word ‘bedwere’, which stands for 'dweller by the cornfields.' Over time, the surname has variously been spelled Bedward, Bidewell, Bittwell, Bedwell, Betwell among others.
Today, the surname Bedward is not particularly common in the UK. However, it does hold a significant presence in Jamaica due to the historical figure Alexander Bedward, a Jamaican preacher who created a religious movement in the early 20th century known as Bedwardism. His followers numbered in the tens of thousands at the peak of the movement. Because Alexander Bedward did not have any children, the people carrying his surname today in Jamaica likely are not his direct descendants but rather may have originally been followers or have taken on the name for other reasons.
Variations of the surname Bedward
The surname Bedward appears to originate from the Anglo-Saxon era in England, deriving from the old English personal name "Beadweard". This name could have a variant as "Bedard" or "Beward", and is very close to another English surname which is "Beard". Variations of the surname Bedward over time due to dialect and regional pronunciations include "Bedwardine" and "Betwardine".
While these variations are less common, some individuals may have also anglicized or modernized the name to "Bedwardson" or even simplified it further to "Beward" or "Bedwarder". Similar sounds include "Bedforde" and "Bidward".
The surname Bedward might be confused with or misspelled as "Bedword", "Bedwar", "Beadward", "Bedwrd", or "Badward". It may also get shortened to zip forms like "B'dwrd" or "Bdward".
It should be noted that this is not a particularly common surname, and these spelling variants are possibilities rather than regularly occurring forms. As with any surname, individual family history and geographic location could both influence the spelling or pronunciation of the family name. In some cases, it might have also been changed dramatically upon immigration, with few discernible links to the original form.
Famous people with the name Bedward
Alexander Bedward is perhaps the most notable person with this surname. He was a Jamaican preacher, healer, and one of the precursors of Rastafarianism in the early 20th century. Nicknamed "the Revivalist," Bedward sparked a religious and social movement in Jamaica. Despite his significance in history, there are not many globally recognized individuals with this last name.