Bill: I was born near Pawnee, Oklahoma in 1934. My dad's dad came from between West Liberty and Salyersville - kinda on the county line - a place called Trace Fork on Rockhouse. My dad's Mom came from White Oak in Morgan County. They married in Oklahoma. Yes, most of eastern Kentucky is "full" of Caudill, Caudle, Cordle, Cordial, and a few other spellings of the name. I think most of them go by Caudill in Johnson County. Most of the in Lawrence County go by Cordle and Cordial. I don't think anyone is sure how it is supposed to be. Older records will show the same person, possible in the same record, with several spellings of the name. My gr, gr, gr, gr grandfather Jeremiah in Wilkes County, North Carolina for example; his War of 1812 record shows Caudle, but his wife's tombstone shows Caudill. His stone can't be read. My great grandfather, Wesley Thompson Caudle is another. His marriage record in Johnson County showed Cordial. Most of his papers were signed Caudle and his tombstone says Caudle, two of his kids stones says Caudle, but two of his grandkids (in the same cemetery with him) says Caudill. The Lawrence County web site shows a picture of one of John Michael Cordle's sons and tells quite a bit about him. He was a school teacher and for a little while, a school principal. Supposedly he "found proof" that the name was supposed to be Caudill. He evidently didn't record what proof he had, and evidently conviced most of his brothers, cousins, and even some uncles to change the spelling to Caudill. One of my dad's cousins who lives in Stark, Florida called me a couple of years ago and asked me why the name got changed. He said his dad's military records from WW 1 shows Robert Caudle. When he came home from the war, most of the others had changed to Caudill, so he did also. The youngest one in that family, Bruce Caudill of Ironton, Ohio, said that their name was Caudle until they had to go to school in town. There, a teacher told them "You're so stupid you can't even spell your own name." And the name was changed at school to Caudill. Many researchers are now saying that the name originated in Scotland. If that is true, it was first known as Gadle, then Caddell which is the way most of them in Scotland spell it now. But even in Scotland, it has many different spellings, including Caudle, but not Caudill. I found a Thomas Cawdle married in Gloucestershire, England in 1624 and a Stephen Cawdle in the same place in 1657 I believe it was. And a Stephen Caudle (who some think is our immigrant ancestor - with no proof) was christened in the same county in 1680 I think. Oh well, we'll probably never know. Thanks for asking. Bud