Recorded in a wide range of spellings including Dinwoodie, Dinwidie, Dinwiddie, Dunwoodie, Dunwoody, Dunworthy and others, this is a famous Scottish surname. It is territorial from the barony of Dinwoodie in the parish of Applegarth, Dunmfriesshire, on the Scottish borders with England. It is said that the origin is pre 7th century Gaelic from ''dun'' or ''din'' meaning a wood or forest and ''gwydd'' which means much the same! Arguably the name means wood - wood, a result of language and dialect changing several times in the past 1500 years. The clan through its lairds have held high positions in the area since at least the 12th century, and Adam de Dinwidi was a property witness in regard to the ownership of the lands of Anant in the period between 1218 - and 1245. Early legal documents were rarely dated, except by the presence on the document of the name of then monarch or local lord, and not always then. For instance Sir Alan de Dunwidi was senescal or steward of Annandale, believed to be a crown appointment in the 13th century, but there are no known dates for his appointment. At sometime the family were awarded the title ''of all that ilk'' in effect confirming their hereditary status. This minor nobility status does not seem to have helped Thomas Dunwedy, the clan chief who was killed at his home by the Jardines in 1504. In 1685 Jean Dunwiddie or Dunwoodie was a victim of the Test, a means of ascertaining religious support. Perhaps not surprisingly Robert Dinwoodie born in Glasgow in 1693, left Bonnie Scotland for Virginia Colony in about 1730 where he became governor from 1751 to 1758, and responsible for the Ohio Valley land integration. The first known recording in any spelling is that of Adam de Dinwiddie, dated 1194 in the Public Record Office for Scotland during the reign of King William, known as the Lion of Scotland, 1165 - 1214.

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