Show ContentsWaight History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Waight is an old Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a watchman. This surname comes from the Anglo-Norman-French word waite, which means watch. [1]

"To the former title of this official duty it is we owe the fact of our still terming, any company of night serenaders 'waits,' and especially those bands of strolling minstrels who keep up the good old custom of watching in Christmas morning. A good old custom, I say, even though it may cost us a few pence, and rouse us somewhat rudely, may be, from our slumbers." [2]

Waits or Waites were British town pipers. Up until 1835, every British town and city of note had a band of Waites and more often than not, they played and instrument called the Wait-pipe.

Early Origins of the Waight family

The surname Waight was first found in the Norman Exchequer Rolls of 1180, where Robert La Waite is entered. [3]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Robert le Weyte, Oxfordshire; Sarra le Weyte, Oxfordshire; and Ralph le Weyte, or Wayte, Essex. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Wayte; and Willelmus Wayte. [2]

Roger le Wayte was listed in Suffolk in 1221; Hugh le Weyt was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1251; Roger le Wate in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and Adam le Whaite was registered in Gloucestershire in 1349. [4]

"Adam de Wayte, in 1306, held in Lincolnshire; and a monumental brass in Stoke-Charity Church commemorates Thomas Wayte, who died in 1482." [3]

Further to the north in Scotland, the name had the same meaning so accordingly, early records were founds there too. Adam Wayt, was a witness in Aberbrothoc, 1312, and Thomas dictus Weyt, was a chaplain in Inverness in 1361. Huchown the Wate was a tacksman in Grenyng and Bankis in Marwek, 1492. [5]

Early History of the Waight family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waight research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1505, 1525, 1595, 1610, 1611, 1634, 1636, 1642, 1643, 1665, 1684, 1688, 1699, 1747, 1777 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Waight History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waight Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Waight has been recorded under many different variations, including Waite, Wait, Wayte, Waits, Waight and others.

Early Notables of the Waight family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Nicholas Waite; and Thomas (Wayte) Waite, (fl. 1634-1688) an English soldier who fought for Parliament in the English Civil War, a member of the Long Parliament, and one of the regicides of King Charles I. "According to Royalist authors, he was the son of an alehouse-keeper at Market Overton in Rutland. He was more probably the Thomas Waite, son of Henry Waite of Wymondham, Leicestershire...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Waight Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Waight family to Ireland

Some of the Waight family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Waight migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Waight or a variant listed above:

Waight Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Ursula Waight, who arrived in Virginia in 1618 [6]
  • Richard Waight, who landed in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1637 [6]
  • Edward Waight, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 [6]

Australia Waight migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Waight Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Jonas Waight, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [7]
  • Francis Waight, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Amazon"

Contemporary Notables of the name Waight (post 1700) +

  • John Waight (b. 1945), Belize former sports shooter, who represented Belize at the 1976 Summer Olympics
  • Colonel Dennis Edward Francis Waight (1895-1984), British army professional infantryman and flying ace credited with 12 aerial victories


The Waight 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: Pro aris et focis
Motto Translation: For our altars and our home.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. 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
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  6. 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)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt


Houseofnames.com on Facebook