Worthing History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Worthing is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in Lancashire at Worthington, a parish of Standish, union of Wigan, hundred of Leyland.

Early Origins of the Worthing family

The surname Worthing was first found in Lancashire at Worthington. "This place, anciently called Worthinton, was allotted, soon after the Domesday Survey, to Albert Greslet. A family of the local name were resident at the Hall in 1588, and from them proceeded the Worthingtons of Blainscough, of Crawshaw, and of Shevington." 1

The place name literally means "estate associated with a man called Weorth," from the Old English personal name + "-ing" + "tun." 2

It dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Werditone. 3

While the village and civil parish in North West Leicestershire is also named Worthington, it is from the former historical county of Lancashire that the family originates. Now part of Greater Manchester, Worthington is a civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. Wrightington in Lancashire was another ancient family seat. "The lordship was given by Albert de Gresley to Orm, son of Ailward or Edward, progenitor of the Ashtons, of Ashton; and his descendants were called de Wrightington." 1

Early History of the Worthing family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Worthing research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1549, 1566, 1570, 1618, 1627, 1650, 1671, 1703, 1754 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Worthing History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Worthing Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Worthing are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. 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. The variations of the name Worthing include: Worthington, Wrightington and others.

Early Notables of the Worthing family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

The Reverend Father Thomas Worthington, D.D. (1549-1627), an English Catholic priest and third President of Douai College. He was born in 1549 at Blainscough or Blainsco in the parish of Standish, nea...
Thomas Worthington (1671-1754), was a Dominican friar and writer. He was the fourth son of Thomas Worthington of Blainsco in the parish of Standish, near Wigan, Lancashire. 4
John Worthington (1618-1671), was an English academic born in Manchester, closely associated with the Cambridge Platonists. "He was the son of Roger Worthington and Katharine Heywood his wife, both me...
William Worthington (1703-1778), was a Welsh divine, son of Thomas Worthington of Aberhafesp, Montgomeryshire

Migration of the Worthing family to Ireland

Some of the Worthing family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Worthing migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Worthing or a variant listed above:

Worthing Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Worthing, who landed in Virginia in 1652 5

Worthing migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Worthing Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jonathan Worthing, who arrived in Canada in 1836

The Worthing 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: In opinum sed gratum
Motto Translation: In my opinion, but graciously

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)