Wouters History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Wouters name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Wouters was originally derived from a family having lived in the county of Kent. Their name, however, is derived from the Old English words wudu, meaning wood, and tun, meaning enclosure or settlement, and indicates that the original bearer of the name lived in a town by a wood. "Besides parishes in many counties, there are innumerable manors, hamlets, and single houses in England so called. The word is Anglo-Saxon, and signifies the woody enclosure." 1

There are numerous places named Wooton throughout Britain, the oldest is Wooton Bassett in Wiltshire that dates back to 680, followed by Wooton Wawen in Warwickshire that dates back to 716-37 and is obviously a Anglo-Saxon place name. 2

Early Origins of the Wouters family

The surname Wouters was first found in Kent where they held a family seat at Marlay, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066. By the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was scattered throughout Britain as in Robert de Wottone and Thomas de Wodeton in Devon, Fredeshet de Wottone in Buckinghamshire, John atte Wodeton in London and John de Wodeton or John de Wutton in Oxfordshire. 3

"Wotton, [in the parish of Landrake, Cornwall] which was formerly a seat belonging to an ancient family of the same name, has been totally demolished; but the estate connected with the house was carried with the heiress of Wotton to a branch of the Courtenays, after which it passed in a similar manner to the family of Rowse. " 4

Early History of the Wouters family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wouters research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1489, 1497, 1521, 1541, 1548, 1551, 1567, 1568, 1582, 1587, 1604, 1607, 1616, 1618, 1620, 1628, 1630, 1639, 1669, 1682 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Wouters History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wouters Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Wouters include Wooton, Wootton, Wootten, Wooten, Wooter, Wouters and others.

Early Notables of the Wouters family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Nicholas Wotton (c. 1497-1567), an English diplomat, Ambassador to France during the reign of Mary, Dean of Canterbury (1541-1567); and his brother, Sir Edward Wotton (1489-1551), Treasurer of Calais and a privy councillor to Edward VI of England; Thomas Wotton (1521-1587), Sheriff of Kent; Thomas Wotton (1521-1587); and his son, Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton (1548-1628), an English diplomat and administrator, Lord of...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wouters Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wouters Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Wouters is the 106^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,650 people with that name. 5

Wouters migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Wouters Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Egbert Wouters, who landed in America in 1641 6
Engel Jansen Wouters, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1641 6
Jacob Wouters, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1662 6
Claes Wouters, who landed in New York, NY in 1663 6

Wouters Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daerlea Friedricka Wouters, aged 12, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 6
Emanuel Wouters, aged 15, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 6
Friederica Johanna Wouters, aged 20, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 6
Geri Anna Lucretia Wouters, aged 18, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 6
Gertruda Wouters, aged 48, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wouters migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wouters Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Mrs. J. Wouters, settler from Southampton who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Largs Bay" in 1935 7
Mr. J. Wouters, settler from Southampton who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Largs Bay" in 1935 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Wouters (post 1700) +

Rolf Wouters (b. 1963), Dutch television presenter
Sieben Wouters (b. 1996), Dutch racing cyclist
Stefan Wouters (b. 1972), Belgian visual artist and curator
Thierry Wouters (b. 1979), Belgian former swimmer, competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Veerle Wouters (b. 1974), Belgian politician
Wayne G. Wouters PC, OC (b. 1951), Canadian former public servant and past Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet
Lode Alphonse Wouters (1929-2014), Belgian cyclist, he competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics
Hendrik Emil "Rick" Wouters (1882-1916), Belgian painter, sculptor and draughtsman
Josee Wouters, Belgian international table tennis player
Joseph Wouters (b. 1942), also known as Jos, Belgian former road cyclist
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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)
National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx