Wand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The surname Wand was a nickname for someone who was "merry," derived from the Middle English word "wanton." 1

Early Origins of the Wand family

The surname Wand was first found in Lincolnshire where William Wantoun was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1298. Later, we found Stephen Wantoun listed in the Assize Rolls for Norfolk in 1312. 1

Further to the north in Scotland, the Wenton spelling prevailed. "Ingeram de Wenton and Thomas de Wenton were jurors at a court held at Le Bellocis Hill near Inverness, 1376-1367 (Innes Family, p. 63). Thomas Wentoun of Strikmertene, [was] a charter witness at Dudhope, 1609." 2

Early History of the Wand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wand research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1568 and 1603 are included under the topic Early Wand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wand Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Wand have been found, including Wantron, Wonton, Wanton, Wantown, Wantoon, Wantune, Wandon, Wand, Want and many more.

Early Notables of the Wand family

More information is included under the topic Early Wand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wand migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become powerful new nations. Among early immigrants of the Wand surname to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were:

Wand Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Wand, who landed in Virginia in 1651 3

Wand Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Eliza Wand, who landed in Virginia in 1711 3

Wand Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Carl L Wand, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1847 3
Hugh Wand, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3

Wand migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wand Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Jane M. Wand, aged 17, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Wand (post 1700) +

W. N. Wand, American politician, Delegate to Kentucky secession convention, 1861 5
Thomas N. Wand, American politician, Member of California State Assembly 8th District, 1867-69 5
Seth Phillip Wand (b. 1979), American football offensive tackle
Hart Wand (1887-1960), American blues musician and composer
Philip Wand (b. 1969), English computer hardware journalist and technical advice columnist
John William Charles Wand PC, KCVO (1885-1977), English-born, Anglican archbishop of Brisbane, Australia
Günter Wand (1912-2002), German orchestra conductor and composer

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html