This is a Scottish name of territorial origin from the lands or barony of Dinwoodie in the parish of Applegarth, in Dumfriesshire. The original etymology of the place name is uncertain, possibly it derives from the Welsh words 'din', forest and 'gwydd' - shrubs or bushes. Sir Alan de Dunwidi is recorded as seneschal of Annandale in the first quarter of the 13th century. Robert Dinwiddie (born Glasgow 1693) emigrated to America and was Governor of Virginia from 1751 to 1758. There are more than one hundred different spellings of this name in old Scots records. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam de Dinwidie which was dated 1194 Public Record Office (Scotland) during the reign of William I The Lion 1165-1214 Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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