Contents [hide]

Workman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Workman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

An ancient Scottish people known as the Picts were the forefathers of the Workman family. Workman is a name for a laborer. The surname Workman comes from the Old English word work, or weorc, both of which mean "work." In the Middle Ages, the word workman was also applied to ambidextrous people as a nickname. The more common derivation, however, is the occupational one, which was a name given to a laborer.

Early Origins of the Workman family

The surname Workman was first found in the Orkneys, were they held a family seat from very ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The name is believed to be derived from the lands of Work, from the parish of St. Ola.

Early History of the Workman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Workman research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1563 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Workman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Workman Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Workman include Workman, Wortman, Wartman, Wergman, Wirgman and others.

Early Notables of the Workman family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

James Workman, Marchmont Herald

Workman Ranking

In the United States, the name Workman is the 955^th most popular surname with an estimated 32,331 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Workman family to Ireland

Some of the Workman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Workman migration to the United States +

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Workman:

Workman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Workman, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 2
Richard Workman, who settled in Virginia in 1648
John Workman, who landed in Virginia in 1653 2
William Workman, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 2
Anthony Workman, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 2

Workman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Fra Workman, who landed in Virginia in 1705 2
Hendrick Workman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2

Workman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Workman, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1804 2
Jane Workman, who landed in America in 1805 2
James Workman, who arrived in America in 1805 2
Margaret Workman, aged 16, who landed in New Castle or Philadelphia in 1805 2
Agnes Workman, aged 13, who landed in New Castle or Philadelphia in 1805 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Workman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Workman Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Solomon Workman, aged 22, a tailor, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland
Rebecca Workman, aged 44, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Susan" in 1838
Nancy Workman, aged 9, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Susan" in 1838
Mary Workman, aged 4, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Susan" in 1838
Robert Workman, aged 3, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Susan" in 1838

Workman 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:

Workman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Workman, aged 35, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arawa" in 1884
Jane Workman, aged 45, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arawa" in 1884
William Workman, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arawa" in 1884
Ernest Workman, aged 4, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arawa" in 1884

Contemporary Notables of the name Workman (post 1700) +

Fanny Bullock Workman (1859-1925), American geographer, cartographer, explorer, and mountaineer, one of the first female professional mountaineers who set several women's altitude records, published eight travel books with her husband
David Workman (1797-1855), English-born, American pioneer in the Los Angeles area
William Henry Workman (1839-1918), American politician, banker and businessman, 18th Mayor of Los Angeles (1886-1888)
Peter Workman, American founder of Workman Publishing Company, an independent publisher of trade books and calendars in 1968
Shanelle Workman (b. 1978), American actress, best known for playing Sarah "Flash" Roberts on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live
Harry Hallworth "Hoge" Workman (1899-1972), American Major League Baseball relief pitcher and National Football League player and coach
Brandon Carlin Workman (b. 1988), American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox
Andrew Boyle Workman (1868-1942), American politician and businessman, President of the Los Angeles City Council (1919 to 1927)
Haywoode Wilvon Workman (b. 1966), retired American NBA basketball player
Lyle Workman, American guitarist, composer, session musician and music producer
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)