Show ContentsWillia History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Among the the peoples of ancient Scotland, the first to use the name Willia were the Strathclyde-Britons. Willia was a name for someone who lived in Dumfries where today more often than not, the name is typically spelt either Wylie or Wyllie. 1

Early Origins of the Willia family

The surname Willia was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), where the first on record was Donald Wyly, tenant of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, 1376. Later, John Wili held a land in Montrose, 1431, and Robert Wylye was vicar of Kilcoldrum, 1434. William Wyly, was a witness in Prestwick, Ayrshire, 1446, Robert Wyly, was a charter witness in Glasgow, 1454, and Richard Wyly, was vicar of Dundee in 1458. 1

Early History of the Willia family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willia research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1509, 1529, 1530, 1550, 1563, 1575, 1590, 1642, 1643, 1645, 1653, 1659, 1680, 1768, 1772, 1790, 1794, 1799, 1801, 1802, 1808, 1819, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1831, 1833, 1835, 1839, 1841, 1847, 1850, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1862, 1865, 1870, 1871, 1890 and 1891 are included under the topic Early Willia History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willia Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Willia has been spelled Wiley, Wylie, Whyley, Wyley, Wilie, Wyllie and others.

Early Notables of the Willia family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir James Wylie (1768-1854), Scottish physician at the court of Russia, was born at Kincardine-on-Forth in 1768. His parents (William Wylie and Janet Meiklejohn) were in a humble position. He received...

Ireland Migration of the Willia family to Ireland

Some of the Willia family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Willia family

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them: James Wiley, his wife and two sisters, who arrived in Boston, Mass in 1766; Isaac Wiley settled in Barbados in 1663; Paul Wiley aged 78; arrived in New York in 1822 with his family.


Contemporary Notables of the name Willia (post 1700) +

  • Willia DePrater, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1940 2


The Willia 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: Fides
Motto Translation: Faith.


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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