Search more than 2,000 Scottish, Irish and Welsh family names.
Some Meredith families know the name through Welsh records; others meet it in Irish branches that became part of local communities over generations. This collection keeps both paths visible in useful keepsakes for home and family occasions.
Meredith developed in Wales from the personal name Maredudd, also written Meredydd. The name was borne by several medieval Welsh rulers, but that history does not make every modern Meredith a descendant of one princely line. The exact meaning of the older name is debated; the final element is generally connected with the Welsh word for “lord,” while interpretations of the first element vary.
Some Meredith branches later became established in Ireland, so this collection keeps Welsh and Irish expressions of the surname together without describing the whole name as an Irish clan. Choose the tradition that fits your own records: Welsh and Irish designs appear on mugs, woven and soft throws, a garden flag and a Christmas keepsake.
For genealogy, begin with the earliest proven Meredith household and note the parish, occupation and relatives who appear as witnesses. Those details are more reliable than surname lore when separating Welsh, border-county and Irish-established branches. Heraldic emblems likewise belong to specific recorded individuals or lines, not automatically to everyone with the name.
For the background to Maredudd and the name’s place in Welsh history, read the Meredith surname history.
