Wollfolk Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient and distinguished surname Wollfolk was first found in England. It is most commonly thought to be of Old English origin, deriving from the words "wull," meaning "wool," and "folc," meaning "people." Thus, it is likely that the first bearer of the surname was one who dealt in wool. Alternatively, it may be derived from "Woll," the name of many places in Dorset, Somerset, West Sussex, and West Surrey; in this instance, the name is derived from the Middle English word "woll," meaning "spring, stream," and the surname would have been first used to denote "folk living by the stream." Finally, the name may be traced to the parish of Woolford in Warwickshire.

Early Origins of the Wollfolk family

The surname Wollfolk was first found in the counties of Sussex and Surrey, in the form "Wolle." The earliest recorded bearer of the name was John de Wolle, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. Henry atte Wolle was also recorded in Sussex in the year 1327. It is possible that the name appeared before these written records were compiled, and that other, even older branches of the family existed in England prior to the Norman conquest.

Early History of the Wollfolk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wollfolk research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1660, 1678 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Wollfolk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wollfolk Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Woolfolk, Wullfolk, Wolle, Wulle, Wollfolk and others.

Early Notables of the Wollfolk family

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

Migration of the Wollfolk family to Ireland

Some of the Wollfolk family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 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 Wollfolk family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Richard Woolfolk, who emigrated from Wales to Gloucester County, Virginia in 1678; and Parham Woolfolk, who settled in Kentucky during the mid-19th century..