Wand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Wand family

The surname Wand was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century at Great Yarmouth and Stoughton.

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

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Wand include 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 +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wand or a variant listed above:

Wand Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Wand, who landed in Virginia in 1651 1

Wand Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Eliza Wand, who landed in Virginia in 1711 1

Wand Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Carl L Wand, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1847 1
Hugh Wand, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 1

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 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Wand (post 1700) +

W. N. Wand, American politician, Delegate to Kentucky secession convention, 1861 3
Thomas N. Wand, American politician, Member of California State Assembly 8th District, 1867-69 3
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 +

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