The Bidwell surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,667 people carried this name — #7,167 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 63,300 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,621 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bidwell surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bidwell» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

54 families named Bidwell, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 339 people lived in those households, 6.3 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 43
New York 6
Massachusetts 2
Vermont 1
Pennsylvania 1
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 229 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Bidwell in American newspapers,
1887–1899.

Newspaper page from Fort Worth Daily Gazette carrying the name Bidwell
Fort Worth Daily Gazette 1887-09-07
Newspaper page from The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo carrying the name Bidwell
The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo 1887-08-09
Newspaper page from The Age-herald carrying the name Bidwell
The Age-herald 1899-03-29

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 52,581 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bidwell in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1970s.

3,018 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bidwell. The most, 615, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,366
Victoria 722
Queensland 326
Western Australia 281
Tasmania 181
South Australia 126
ACT (Canberra) 9
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bidwell.

Who carried it

People named Bidwell,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Barnabas Bidwell
    Barnabas Bidwell 1763–1833 · lawyer
  • Marshall Spring Bidwell
    Marshall Spring Bidwell 1799–1872 · lawyer
  • John Bidwell
    John Bidwell 1819–1900 · naturalist
  • Annie E. Kennedy Bidwell
    Annie E. Kennedy Bidwell 1839–1918 · botanical collector
  • George R. Bidwell
    George R. Bidwell 1858–1948 · businessperson
  • Dorothy Mary Bidwell d. 1957

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bidwell,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States459 records

459 records of the Bidwell name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 161
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 95
  • Other U.S. records 203
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Howard J. Bidwell

    Born 1919 in Connecticut. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts; metal worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Wapping Cemetery, South Windsor, Connecticut.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Barry Alan Bidwell

    Born 1948; from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. U.S. Navy, aviation machinist's mate; died in an accident 1971 in North Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Bidwell

    Arrived at New York in 1868 aboard the Erin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 36; clergyman. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 459 records for Bidwell in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia105 records

105 records of the Bidwell name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 78
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 16
  • Other Australian records 11
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Samuel Bidwell

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lady Raffles, sailing from Portsmouth in 1840. Native of Norwich, Norfolk.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Leonard Bidwell

    Gentleman of England; died 1907.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Harriet Bidwell

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 as an assisted immigrant aboard the Joshua, aged 31.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 105 records for Bidwell in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada13 records

13 records of the Bidwell name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • Other Canadian records 7
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Grafton Bidwell

    Buried in 1994 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 104.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Roger Edward Shelford Bidwell

    Died 1968 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Frank Bidwell

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 13 records for Bidwell in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Bidwell name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Bidwell

    Northumberland Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. J. Bidwell

    Suffolk Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Bidwell

    Essex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Bidwell in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the Bidwell name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 5
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thelma Edith Bidwell

    Died 1930, aged 18; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Agnes Ann Bidwell

    Died 1968, aged 79; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record E. Bidwell

    Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Bidwell in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bidwell.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bidwell is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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