First found in Devon, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

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More about the West History...

Please remember that this page is only a small extract of our complete history that includes:

• Ancient origin of the name (usually pre-1100)
• Known spelling variations
• Early movement of the family name during the Middle Ages
• Noteworthy bearers from the 1500-1600s
• First settlers to North America
• Notable contemporary bearers of the name
• A description and/or full color picture of the Coat of Arms, Crest, and Motto (where available)

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them travelled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the Origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name West or a variant listed above: Brient Weste settled in Newfoundland in 1730; Robert West was a merchant in St John's Newfoundland in 1794; Francis West settled in Virginia in 1608; 14 years before the "Mayflower".

Motto Translated: Day of my life, i.e. “Most glorious day of my life.”.

For more information on the last name West, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.