Willets History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The surname Willets is derived from the diminutive form of the Old English personal name "Will" or "William." 1 Thus, the name refers to a "son of Willet." One of the first records was as a forename, specifically Wil(l)ot de Foxwist in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1286. 2

Early Origins of the Willets family

The surname Willets was first found in Suffolk where Symon Wylot was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1269. A few years later, Thomas Wilet was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1277 and William Wyllet, Wyllot was registered in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 and 1332. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing for the family, that of Richard Wylyot in Norfolk in 1273. 3 In Somerset, John Wilot was listed as holding lands 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 4

Early History of the Willets family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willets research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1511, 1562, 1586, 1598, 1605, 1621, 1633, 1650, 1665, 1674, 1678, 1703, 1718, 1719, 1736, 1764 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Willets History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willets Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Willet, Willett, Willhite, Willot, Willitt, Willets and many more.

Early Notables of the Willets family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Dr. Andrew Willet (1562- 1621), an English clergyman and controversialist. Born at Ely in 1562, he was son of Thomas Willet (1511?-1598), who began his career as a public notary, and officiated as such at the consecration of Archbishop Parker. 5Deborah "Deb" Willet (1650-1678), was a young maid employed by Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) whose extramarital liaisons were chronicled in his famous diary.Thomas Willett (1605-1674), born in Hertfordshire, was an early American merchant, Plymouth Colony trader and sea-captain, Commissioner of New Netherland, magistrate of Plymouth Colony, first Mayor of New York City. He was...
Another 116 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Willets Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willets migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Willets Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

H Willets, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6
Jean Willets, aged 24, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Willets (post 1700) +

Isaac Underhill Willets (1819-1899), American farm owner, eponym of I.U. Willets Road, Nassau County, Long Island, New York; his ancestor Isaac U. Willets, came to America from Wales in 1650
Stephen Willets, American politician, Member of California State Assembly 15th District, 1867-69 7
Stephen Willets, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Burlington County, 1846; U.S. Collector of Customs, 1854 7
Reuben Willets, American politician, Member of New Jersey State Senate from Cape May County, 1845-46 7
J. Howard Willets, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Cumberland County, 1872-73; Member of New Jersey State Senate from Cumberland County, 1875-77 7
E. F. Willets, American politician, Mayor of Hornellsville, New York, 1896 7
Cyrus Willets, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Andersontown, Indiana, 1838-39 7
Joseph Willets Outerbridge (1907-1978), American sailor at the 1928 Summer Olympics
George Willets Davison (b. 1872), American Republican politician, Queens County District Attorney, 1899 8
William Willets Cocks (1861-1932), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Senate 2nd District, 1901-02; Member of New York State Assembly from Queens County 3rd District, 1904 9

The Willets 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: Dieu et mon devoir
Motto Translation: God and my work.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html