Wiffen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The distinguished surname Wiffen emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. One of the most common classes of surname is the patronymic surname, which was usually derived from the first name of the person's father. Flemish surnames of this type are often characterized by the diminutive suffix -kin, which became very frequent in England during the 14th century. The surname Wiffen is derived from Giff, a pet form of the personal name Geoffrey. This pet form is supplemented by the diminutive suffix -on or -in.

Early Origins of the Wiffen family

The surname Wiffen was first found in North Ayrshire where the Barony of Giffen was in the parish of Beith in the former District of Cunninghame. Giffen Castle is today in ruins but the castle was home to the Lordship of Giffin, which included the Baronies of Giffen, Trearne, Hessilhead, Broadstone, Roughwood and Ramshead dating back to the 15th century. It fell into disrepair soon after 1726 and finally collapsed in 1838.

Further to the south, "the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire (1327) and Warwickshire (1332) contain at least 40 surnames [with the] -en [suffix.] " 1 By example, Peter and Rose Geffen were listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. Willelmus Gyffon was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

The McGuffin or MacGuffin variant is an interesting one. There are two known uses of the name and in both cases, the reason for its use is unknown.

First, MacGuffin or McGuffin is a plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivator that the protagonist pursues that has been made popular by Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas and Yves Lavandier. The name MacGuffin was first coined by the English screenwriter Angus MacPhail (1903-1962.)

Secondly, MacGuffin is a block cipher created in 1994 by Bruce Schneier and Matt Blaze at a Fast Software Encryption workshop.

Early History of the Wiffen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wiffen research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1640, 1710, 1837, 1890 and 1910 are included under the topic Early Wiffen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiffen Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Giffin, Giffen, Geffen, Giffan, Giffon, Geffan, Geffon, Giffines, Giffins, Giffans, Giffons, Whiffen, Whiffin, Wiffin, Wiffen, McGiffen and many more.

Early Notables of the Wiffen family

More information is included under the topic Early Wiffen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wiffen family to Ireland

Some of the Wiffen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiffen migration to Canada +

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Wiffen

Wiffen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Wiffen was registered in Bonavista, Newfoundland in 1828 3

Wiffen 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:

Wiffen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Clara Wiffen, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Merchantman' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand and Auckland New Zealand on 6th September 1855 4
Henry Wiffen, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1867

Contemporary Notables of the name Wiffen (post 1700) +

Benjamin Barron Wiffen (1794-1867), English biographer of early Spanish reformers, born at Woburn, Bedfordshire, second son of John Wiffen, ironmonger, younger brother of Jeremiah Holmes Wiffen 5
Jeremiah Holmes Wiffen (1792-1836), English translator of Tasso, eldest son of John Wiffen, ironmonger 5
Ms. Helen Wiffen M.V.O., British former Deputy Official Secretary of the Administrator of the Northern Territory, was appointed the Member of the Royal Victorian Order on 8th June 2018 6
Joan Wiffen CBE (1922-2009), New Zealand amateur paleontologist who discovered the first dinosaur fossils in New Zealand

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 Jan. 2019
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists