We are one of the families that believe that its surname is derived from the ancient Scottish borderland of Liddesdale. We are definitely certain that our origins are in southern Scotland, for among the earliest records of the Norman rule over this land are surnames which pronounce identically to our own and those of others. These are distributed in local records from Dumfriesshire to the southwest of Liddesdale to Roxbourghshire to the northeast and are found in Liddesdale, itself.

Some of us believe that our surname is a Latin-based form of one or other of the earlier forms, such as Lydal, and that all are a Latin rendering of the Celtic Liddesdale. But, we admit, the subject is still hotly debated in our ranks.

All we know for sure is that our lines have produced a surprisingly large number of leaders, scholars and commercial magnates, and reveals an odd propensity for our males to select military and law enforcement careers.

At present, we take a leading role in Team Liddell et al, our united worldwide effort to reconstitute our respective families, Liddell or otherwise in their spelling, but this is changing rapidly, and we invite others to join with us in either our genealogical research, our DNA/mtDNA Study, or both. Truly, we are "No Longer Separated by Oceans and Centuries!"