An English surname, the Baldwin family name was based on a German term of ‘bald’ which means bold and the term ‘wine’ which meant a protector, comrade or bold friend. In Old English the term was ‘bealdwine’.

Spellings variations for Baldwin include Baldwine, Baldwyn, Baldwyne and Baldwynn.

The English Baldwin families started in the region of Shropshire. Many changed the spelling from Baldwyn to Baldwin in the 16th century. Early Dutch spellings for the Baldwin name was Boudewijn.
In England most Baldwin families live in the northern region of Yorkshire and Lancashire. There are several in the city of London area and in Kent, Sussex and Norfolk. The counties of Lanarkshire, Midlothian, Renfrewshire and Aberdeenshire in Scotland also have several Baldwin families.

Within the United States the Baldwin families are most numerous in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, Kansas, Texas and California.

Famous: Alec Baldwin (actor), Stanley Baldwin (prime minister of the United Kingdom), Bill Baldwin (science fiction writer), Dwight Hamilton Baldwin (19th century manufacturer of the Baldwin piano), Craig Baldwin (filmmaker), George Baldwin (early football player), John Baldwin (founder of Baldwin-Wallace College and Baldwin school for boys and girls) and Matthias W. Baldwin (19th century founder of Baldwin Locomotive Works).