Show ContentsWaterhouse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Waterhouse is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Waterhouse family when they migrated to the region after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Waterhouse family lived in Lincolnshire, at Waterhouse. This place-name indicates that the original bearer lived in a house located near a body of water. [1] [2]

Early Origins of the Waterhouse family

The surname Waterhouse was first found in Lincolnshire where Guy de Craon held the lands of Kirton from Count Alan at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. His successor was known as Ab Aquae Domo or Sir Gilbert Waterhouse. [3]

"The source of the name of Waterhouse is a little doubtful. Waterhouses is the name of a place in the neighbouring county of Stafford, and of a village in the county of Durham. De Watenhou was a Nottinghamshire family name in the 13th century. An ancient Lincolnshire family of Waterhouse traced their descent from Sir Gilbert Waterhouse, of Kirton, in the reign of Henry III.. [3] Another ancient family of Waterhouse lived at Halifax in the West Riding; a branch, to which belonged the vicar of Bradford in the middle of the 17th century, was located at Tooting, Surrey, in the time of James I. [4]

One of the first records in early rolls was Adam de Waterhous who was listed in Yorkshire in 1308. [5]

Early History of the Waterhouse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waterhouse research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1535, 1582, 1588, 1591, 1602, 1619 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Waterhouse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waterhouse Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Waterhouse have been found, including Watehouse, Waterhouse and others.

Early Notables of the Waterhouse family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir Edward Waterhouse (1535-1591), Chancellor of the Exchequer in Ireland. He was born at Helmstedbury, Hertfordshire and the youngest son of John Waterhouse of Whitechurch, Buckinghamshire, and Marga...
  • George Waterhouse (d. 1602), was an English musician, held some appointment in Lincoln Cathedral, whence he was called to the Chapel Royal in July 1588. "Waterhouse devoted himself with extraordinary...
  • Edward Wasterhouse (1619-1670), was an English heraldic and miscellaneous writer, born at Greenford, Middlesex, the son of Francis Waterhouse of that place. [6]

Waterhouse Ranking

In the United States, the name Waterhouse is the 7,785th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [7]

Ireland Migration of the Waterhouse family to Ireland

Some of the Waterhouse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Waterhouse migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Waterhouse were among those contributors:

Waterhouse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Joe Waterhouse who settled in Virginia in 1622
  • Thomas Waterhouse, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1639 [8]
  • Samuel Waterhouse, who settled in Virginia in 1642
  • William Waterhouse, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 [8]
  • Anna Waterhouse, who landed in Maryland in 1661 [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Waterhouse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Waterhouse, who landed in New England in 1730 [8]
Waterhouse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Waterhouse, who settled in Philadelphia in 1804
  • John Waterhouse, who settled in Philadelphia in 1820
  • John Waterhouse, who landed in Philadelphia in 1828
  • C Waterhouse, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 [8]
  • G Waterhouse, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Waterhouse migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Waterhouse Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Greaves Waterhouse, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1840 [9]
  • G.M. Waterhouse, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Brankenmore" in 1846 [10]
  • Vincent Waterhouse, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Jenny Lind" in 1850 [11]

New Zealand Waterhouse 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:

Waterhouse Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Waterhouse, aged 42, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Sarah Waterhouse, aged 39, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • John Waterhouse, aged 18, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • Rachel Waterhouse, aged 11, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
  • William Waterhouse, aged 30, a gardener, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Waterhouse (post 1700) +

  • William Charles Waterhouse (d. 2016), American mathematician, a professor emeritus of Mathematics at Pennsylvania State University
  • Charles Waterhouse (b. 1924), American painter, illustrator and sculptor
  • Benjamin Waterhouse (1754-1846), American physician, the first doctor to test the smallpox vaccine in the United States
  • W. W. Waterhouse, American Republican politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 49th District, 1960 [12]
  • Paul J. Waterhouse, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1960 [12]
  • Olga Waterhouse, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Hawaii, 1972 [12]
  • John H. Waterhouse (1870-1948), American Republican politician, Mayor of North Adams, Massachusetts, 1909-10; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1920 (alternate), 1924 [12]
  • Harry E. Waterhouse, American politician, Member of Connecticut Prohibition Party State Central Committee, 1927 [12]
  • George B. Waterhouse, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1912 [12]
  • F. H. Waterhouse, American Republican politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Bristol, 1940 [12]
  • ... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Reginald G Waterhouse (b. 1921), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Bitterne, Southampton, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [13]


The Waterhouse Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Veritas vincit omnia
Motto Translation: Truth Conquers All.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. 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)
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Lysander.htm
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BRANKENMORE 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Brankenmoor.gif
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JENNY LIND 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850JennyLind.gif
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  13. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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