Show ContentsWallon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Wallon family

The surname Wallon was first found in Valognes on the Cotentin peninsula. While the name remains a strong French name even to today, some of the family migrated to England as we shall soon discover.

"Peter de Valognes or Vallonis received from the Conqueror fifty-seven lordships in the counties of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertford, Cambridge, and Lincoln, and built his castle at Orford in Suffolk. He was Viscount of Essex 1087; and with his wife Albreda, the daughter of Hubert de Rie, founded Binham Priory in Norfolk 'for the welfare of the souls of William the Conqueror and Maud his Queen, and for the good estate of Henry I.' " 1

"Philip de Valoniis, the fifth son, also came into Scotland, towards the end of the reign of Malcolm IV. He was a constant attendant on William the Lion, and was one of the hostages for his liberation. In recompence, the King made him a grant of the manors of Panmure and Benvie, and appointed him High Chamberlain of Scotland about 1180. He witnessed the agreement betwixt King William I. and King John in 1209; was continued Chamberlain by Alexander II. on his accession, 1214: and dying on the 5th of November 1215, was interred with great solemnity in the chapter-house of Melrose." 2

Early History of the Wallon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wallon research. Another 275 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1282, 1376, 1394, 1435, 1575, 1585, 1590, 1616, 1623, 1630, 1652, 1659, 1688, 1710, 1719, 1724, 1767, 1812 and 1904 are included under the topic Early Wallon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wallon Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Wallon, including Valon, Valons, Valone, Valones, Vallon, Vallons, Vallone, Vallones, Valonne, Valonnes, Vallonne, Vallonnes, Valont, Valonts, Valond, Valonds, Valonde, Valondes, Walon, Walons, Wallon, Wallons, de Valon and many more.

Early Notables of the Wallon family

Notable amongst the family in this period was Jacques-Louis, Marquis of Mimeure, Field Marshal, member of the French Academy; and Jacques Louis Valon, Marquis de Mimeure (1659-1719), a French...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wallon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wallon Ranking

In France, the name Wallon is the 4,631st most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 3


United States Wallon migration to the United States +

France was active as a cultural leader in the early 16th century. One particular area in which they lead was the exploration of the New World. The explorers, like Jacques Cartier in 1534, led the way to North America. Champlain, in 1608, made the first of twenty voyages to France to attract settlers and brought the first migrant in 1617. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec, and the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Wallon has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Wallon were

Wallon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jonny Wallon, who landed in Virginia in 1656 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Wallon (post 1700) +

  • Henri Paul Hyacinthe Wallon (1879-1962), French philosopher, psychologist, teacher, and politician, grandson of Henri-Alexandre Wallon
  • Henri-Alexandre Wallon (1812-1904), French historian and statesman, called the "Father of the Republic"
  • Patrik Wallon (b. 1988), Swedish ice hockey player


The Wallon 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: Malo mori quam foedari
Motto Translation: I would rather die than be disgraced.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. 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)


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