Text Size 
From www.HouseOfNames.com Archives copyright © 2000 - 2009
Origins Available: English, Irish, Scottish
Where did the Irish Wilson family come from? What is the Irish coat of arms/family crest? When did the Wilson family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of the family name?
The Wilson surname in Ireland came from England and Scotland in the 17th century. The surname itself was ultimately derived from the personal name William, and means "son of William" or "son of Wil."This product is available in 11 X 17 parchment scroll format, but extracts from this history are not available at this time.
Read full text versions of sample histories.
For more information on the last name Wilson, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.
Suggested Readings for the name Wilson
- A Brief Account of the Wilsons by Emery Small Wilson.
- The DeMay Family and the Wilson Family by Ida DeMay Wilson.
- The Family of Samuel & Jean Love Wilson by Sara Stewart Hinckley.
Some noteworthy people of the name Wilson
- Olin Chaddock Wilson (1909-1994), American astronomer, stellar spectroscopist. He won the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship in 1977 and the Bruce Medal in 1984
- John Lyde Wilson (1784-1849), Democratic-Republican Governor of South Carolina from 1822 to 1824
- President Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), the twenty-eighth President of the United States
- James Harrison Wilson (1837-1925), Union Army general in the American Civil War, railroad executive, and author
- Ellen Louise Axson Wilson (1860-1914), first wife of Woodrow Wilson, First Lady of the United States from 1913 until her death
- Staci Wilson, American soccer player
- Gahan Wilson (b. 1930), American cartoonist
- Tom Wilson (b. 1931), American cartoonist
- Edmund Wilson (1895-1972), American literary critic
- Edmund Beecher Wilson (1856-1939), American zoologist
- Edward Osborne Wilson (b. 1929), American biologist and two-time winner (1979 and 1991) of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
- Ernest Henry Wilson (1876-1930), American botanist
- Henry Wilson (1812-1873), American politician
- James Wilson (1742-1789), American political ideologist
- Kenneth Geddes Wilson (b. 1936), American theoretical physicist
- Robert Wilson (b. 1941), American theatre-maker/director/designer
- Robert Woodrow Wilson (b. 1936), winner of the American 1978 Nobel Prize in physics for detecting microwave noise in the constellation Cassiopeia that proved to be residual radiation from the Big Bang
- Theodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson (1912-1986), American pianist/bandleader/arranger
- Robert Woodrow Wilson (b. 1936), American astronomer awarded 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics
- Technician Fifth Grade Alfred L. Wilson (1919-1944), who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
- General Louis Hugh Wilson Jr. (1920-2005), who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944 and was 26th Commandant of the Marine Corps
- Private First Class Robert Lee Wilson (1920-1944), American Marine was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
- August Wilson (1945-2005), American playwright twice awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1987 and 1990)
- Lanford Wilson (b. 1937), American playwright awarded the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
- Ian Wilson (b. 1964), Irish composer
- Sir Henry Hughes Wilson (1864-1922), Irish soldier
- Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson (1842-1921), English Admiral and First Sea Lord
- Charles McMoran Wilson (1882-1977), 1st Baron Moran, most famous for being Sir Winston Churchill's personal physician, saving his life in 1943
- Colin Wilson (b. 1931), well-known British novelist
- Sammy Wilson, Democratic Unionist Member of the British Parliament for East Antrim (b.2005)
- Sir Angus Wilson (1913-1991), South African-born English novelist
- Prime Minister James Harold Wilson (1916-1995), Baron Wilson of Rievaulx (1916-1995), British politician, Prime Minister (1964-1970, 1974-1976)
- David Clive Wilson (b. 1935), Baron Wilson of Tillyorn, British administrator, last Governor of Hong Kong (1987-1992)
- Sir Alan Geoffrey Wilson (b. 1939), British scientist and social scientist, knighted in 2001
- Edith Bolling Galt Wilson (1872-1961), second wife of President Woodrow Wilson, First Lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921
- Charles Thomson Rees Wilson (1869-1959), Scottish pioneer of atomic and nuclear physics who received the Nobel Prize in 1927
- Sir Daniel Wilson (1816-1892), Scottish archaeologist
- Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912), English physician
- Sir Erasmus Wilson (1809-1884), English surgeon and antiquarian
- Sir James Harold Wilson (b. 1916), English Labour politician
- Harriette Wilson (1786-1855), English courtesan
- Henry Maitland Wilson (1881-1964), English soldier
- Horace Hayman Wilson (1786-1860), English Orientalist
- James Wilson (1805-1860), Scottish economist
- John Wilson (1785-1854), Scottish critic and essayist
- John Wilson (1804-1875), Scottish missionary
- John Dover Wilson (1881-1969), Shakespearean scholar
- John MacKay Wilson (1804-1835), Scottish writer and editor
- Richard Wilson (1714-1782), Welsh landscape painter
- Sir Robert Thomas Wilson (1777-1849), English soldier
- Alexander Wilson (1766-1813), Scottish/American ornithologist
- Betty Wilson (b. 1943), British peace activist
- Royston Warner Wilson (1900-1965), English strip cartoonist
- Thomas Wilson (1663-1755), English churchman
- Finn Wilson, Scottish musician
- Captain Eric Charles Twelves Wilson (b. 1912), British soldier awarded the Victoria Cross during WWII
Tell Me More About Family Crests
Family Crests: the Heraldic Artist
We have researched the Wilson family crest in the most recognized sources. Before an artist or craftsman can render a family crest, it must exist. In other words the crest must have been designed and recorded by the heralds from time immemorial.
Heraldic designs matriculated by the lay-artist in many cases becomes uninspired, meretricious and even ugly...
More
Family Crests: Timeline
Many of the symbols adopted into armory have been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians, but heraldry itself did not begin until the 11th century. In continental Europe, the most ancient recorded family crest was discovered upon the monumental effigy of a Count of Wasserburg in the church of St. Emeran, at Ratisobon, Germany...
More
Family Crests: Elements
In the Wilson coat of arms as in all coat of arms the crest is only one element of the full armorial achievement. Again the Family Crest is just part of the story of Coats of Arms or Heraldry. Heraldry is defined as the hereditary art or science of blazoning, the description is appropriate technical terms of Coats-of-Arms and other heraldic and armorial insignia, and is of very ancient origin...
More
More
Family Crests and Genealogy: how they relate
We encourage you to study the Wilson genealogy to find out if you descend from someone who bore a particular family crest. Anyone making a study of heraldry usually becomes interested in Genealogy or seeking legal claim to a particular family crest. No families, not even the royal houses, can make sound claim to the right to bear arms unless a proven connection is established through attested Genealogical records...
More
More
Wilson Family Crest Products
Anniversary products for the name Wilson. Apparel displaying the Wilson family crest. Armorial histories for the name Wilson. Ceramics proudly displaying the Wilson coat of arms. Clip art of all the most used heraldic pieces. Coat of Arms for the name Wilson. Downloads with the family crest for the name Wilson. Family Crest for the name Wilson. Family Tree with a Wilson family crest. Hand Painted Plaques featuring the family crest for the surname Wilson. Keychains featuring the Wilson family crest. Mouse pads revealing the family crest for the surname Wilson. New Products displaying the Wilson family crest. Packages displaying the Wilson family crest. Plaques and Frames proudly displaying the Wilson family crest. Surname Histories for the name Wilson. Symbolism proudly displaying the Wilson family crest. Travel Mugs with the family crest for the name Wilson. |
The Wilson Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Wilson Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.
Tools
New Products
Downloads
Under $25
$25-$50
Over $50
Top 7 Gifts
Family Reunions
Downloads
Under $25
$25-$50
Over $50
Top 7 Gifts
- Coat of Arms / Family Crest Coffee Mug
- Coffee mugs (set of four)
- Pair of Coffee Mugs & Pair of Keychains
- Beer Stein
- Pair of Beer Steins
- Large Ceramic Tile with Clan Badge
- Set of Four Large Tiles with Clan Badge
- Large Ceramic Tile with Coat of Arms
- Set of Four Large Tiles with Coat of Arms
- Small Ceramic Tile with Coat of Arms
- Set of Four Small Tiles with Coat of Arms
- Armorial, Symbolism & Large Ceramic Tile
- Coat of Arms with Frame
- Coat of Arms Print
- Coat of Arms & Surname History Package
- Armorial History Landscape Style
- Armorial History & Symbolism package
- Deluxe Coat of Arms Symbolism
- Record Your Own Family Tree
- Mouse Pad & Keychain Combo Package
- Pair of Coffee Mugs & Pair of Keychains
- Armorial, Symbolism & Large Ceramic Tile
- Framed Surname History and Coat of Arms
- Clan Badge Print
- Coat of Arms Symbolism
- Wooden Jewelry Box
- Wine and Cheese Board
- Water Bottle
- Shot Glass
- Set of four Shot Glasses
- Tote Bag
- PDF Armorial History (Letter Size)
- PDF-Deluxe Symbolism
- Family Crest Image (jpg) Heritage Series - 150 DPI
- Family Crest Image (jpg) Legacy Series - 150 DPI
- Family Crest Image (JPG) Book Plated - 150 DPI
- Family Crest Image (jpg) Heirloom Series - 150 DPI
- PDF Anniversary Bond: Celtic Style
- PDF Anniversary Bond: Gothic Style
- Clan Badge Image (JPG)
- PDF Coat of Arms Symbolism (Letter Size)
- PDF Surname History (Letter Size)
- PDF Family Tree Template
- Coat of Arms with Frame
- Coat of Arms & Surname History Package
- Armorial History with Coat of Arms
- Armorial History Landscape Style
- Armorial History & Symbolism package
- Deluxe Coat of Arms Symbolism
- Record Your Own Family Tree
- Mouse Pad & Keychain Combo Package
- Pair of Coffee Mugs & Pair of Keychains
- Armorial, Symbolism & Large Ceramic Tile
- Armorial History with Frame
- Framed Surname History and Coat of Arms
- Clan Badge Print
- Coat of Arms Print
- Coat of Arms Symbolism
- Set of Four Large Tiles with Clan Badge
- Combo Package 1
- Combo Package 2
- Coat of Arms & Surname History Package
- Armorial History & Symbolism package
- Armorial, Symbolism & Large Ceramic Tile
- Armorial History & Keychain Package
- Pair of Keychains
- Set of 10 Keychains
- Mouse Pad & Keychain Combo Package
- Pair of Coffee Mugs & Pair of Keychains
- Pair of Beer Steins
- Pair of Travel Mugs
- Coffee mugs (set of four)
- Set of Four Large Tiles with Coat of Arms
- Set of Four Small Tiles with Coat of Arms
- Tote Bag and Water Bottle