Whales Surname History

Origins Available:
England

Whales is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Whales family lived in Berwickshire, at Le Whele, near the Whele Causey (Wheel Causeway) a Roman road which passes through the county. Some occurrences of the name may be derived from the original bearer's residence in Wales.

Early Origins of the Whales family

The surname Whales was first found in Berwickshire where they held a family seat from early times, at a place named Le Whele.

Early History of the Whales family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whales research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1684 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Whales History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whales Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Whales are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Whales include Whale, Whele, Whaill and others.

Early Notables of the Whales family

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

Whales migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Whales, or a variant listed above:

Whales Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Susan Whales, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 1

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)