Show ContentsWayne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Wayne family

The surname Wayne was first found in Essex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1319 when John and Richard Wayn held estates in that county.

Early History of the Wayne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wayne research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1455, 1487, 1553, 1566, 1596, 1603, 1605, 1617 and 1618 are included under the topic Early Wayne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wayne Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wayne, Wain, Wein, Waines, Waine, Weyne, Weyn, Wainman, Waynman, Waynman, Weynman, Wenman, Whenman, Wheynman, Wainer and many more.

Early Notables of the Wayne family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • the Wayne family of Essex

Wayne Ranking

In the United States, the name Wayne is the 3,607th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [1]


United States Wayne migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wayne Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Amyle Wayne, who settled in Virginia in 1610
  • Amyle Wayne, aged 30, who landed in Virginia in 1610 [2]
  • John and Amy Wayne, who arrived in Virginia in 1638
  • John Wayne, who landed in Virginia in 1653 [2]
  • Mary Wayne, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 [2]
Wayne Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ralph Wayne, who landed in America in 1760-1763 [2]
  • Ralph Wayne, who was deported to America in 1761
  • Benjamin Wayne, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1773
  • James Wayne, who arrived in New York in 1796 [2]
Wayne Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Wayne, who arrived in Galveston, TX in 1849

Contemporary Notables of the name Wayne (post 1700) +

  • John "the Duke" Wayne (1907-1979), born Marion Robert Morrison, Academy Award winning American film actor and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Howard Wayne (1948-2023), American politician, Member of the California State Assembly (1996-2002)
  • Anthony Wayne (1745-1796), American politician, Representative from Georgia at-large, 1791-92, 5th Senior Officer of the United States Army (1792-1796) [3]
  • Artie Wayne (1942-2019), born Wayne Kent, an American record producer, music publisher, songwriter and singer
  • Malcolm "Mal" Wayne (1879-1970), American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball
  • Marshall Wayne (1911-1999), American Olympic gold medal winning diver in 1936
  • James Moore Wayne (1790-1867), American lawyer, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia
  • Gene Wayne, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Wetzel County Democratic Party, 1975 [3]
  • G. Kenneth Wayne, American Republican politician, Mayor of Seneca Falls, New York, 1940 [3]
  • Edwin M. Wayne, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1920 [3]
  • ... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Wayne 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: Tempus et casus accidit omnibus
Motto Translation: Time and chance occurs for all


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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