Wardle

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family name of English origin, borne by many people ; a small village in the north of England
2. Used as a surname traced to English roots ; the name of a small rural settlement in northern England
3. A common English family name ; also a little village located in the north of England

Etymology: Wardle is an English surname, and its story lies in the landscape it once named. It comes from Old English "weard", meaning a fortified place, combined with "hyll", meaning hill. A wardle was therefore a hill with a defensive stronghold on it, the kind of high ground where a community could watch the surrounding country and retreat when danger came. Surnames of this sort were often taken from a family's home or land, so the name probably began as a description of where someone lived, with the hill's fortification serving as the identifying feature. Over the centuries, spelling shifted and the family name settled into the form used today.