Contents [hide]

Wall History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Wall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Germany
Ireland
Sweden

The origins of the Wall name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Wall was originally derived from a family having lived near a stone-built wall. Wall is a local surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Other types of local surnames include topographic surnames, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. The surname Wall referred to a person who lived beside a large stone wall, which was used either for the purpose of fortification, or to keep back the encroachment of the sea. Members of the Wall family were established in Gloucestershire prior to the Norman Conquest of England, in 1066. By the time of the Conquest, they were major landholders in that county.

Early Origins of the Wall family

The surname Wall was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat from very ancient times and appeared as holders of lands in the Domesday Book compiled in 1086 by King William of England. The name was from the Anglo Saxon Wal, meaning a stranger. Wales is a parish, in the union of Worksop, S. division of the wapentake of Strafforth and Tickhill in the West Riding of Yorkshire. "This parish, in the Domesday Survey called Walise, belonged to Morcar, Earl of Northumberland, in the reign of Edward the Confessor." 1

Early History of the Wall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wall research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1210, 1303, 1352, 1588, 1620, 1647, 1666, 1679, 1728, 1760, 1789 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wall Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Wall include Wall, Walls, Wale, Walles and others.

Early Notables of the Wall family

Distinguished members of the family include

William de Wall, the knight who accompanied Strongbow
Saint John Wall, O.F.M., (1620-1679), an English Catholic Franciscan friar, apprehended under suspicion of being a party to the Titus Oates plot, was executed and later honored as a martyr
William Wall (1647-1728), a British priest in the Church of England who wrote extensively on the doctrine of infant baptism

Wall World Ranking

In the United States, the name Wall is the 555^th most popular surname with an estimated 52,227 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Wall is ranked the 374^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,390 people with that name. 3 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Wall is the 146^th popular surname with an estimated 263 people with that name. 4 Australia ranks Wall as 385^th with 9,662 people. 5 New Zealand ranks Wall as 382^nd with 1,693 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Wall as 405^th with 16,102 people. 7

Migration of the Wall family to Ireland

Some of the Wall family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wall migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Wall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Wall who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 8
Mrs. Wall who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 8
Andrew Wall, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 9
Alice Wall who arrived in Maryland in 1675
Alice Wall, who landed in Maryland in 1677 9

Wall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Conrad Wall who settled in Philadelphia in 1737
Adam Wall, aged 21, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 9
Hans Georg Wall, who settled in Philadelphia in 1749
Charles Wall who arrived in Virginia in 1773

Wall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Easter Wall, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 9
Andrew, Bernard, Charles, Francis, Henry, James, John, Thomas, and William Wall entered in Philadelphia between 1824 to 1870
Christopher Wall, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1849 9
George Wall, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1849 9
Eberhard Wall, who landed in Philadelphia in 1856
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wall Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfred Wall, who arrived in Alabama in 1924 9

Wall migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wall Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Edward Wall U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 10
Mr. James Wall U.E. who settled in St. Stephen, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Port Matoon Association 10
Mr. John Wall U.E. who settled in St. Stephen, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Port Matoon Association & Penobscot Association, he was a Mariner 10

Wall Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Margaret Wall, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Ann & Mary" from Cork, Ireland
Agatha Wall who settled in Quebec, Canada in 1847
Ms. Catherine Wall, aged 30 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Try Again" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 11
Mr. John Wall, aged 24 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Rose" departing 19th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 1st July 1847 but he died on board 12
Mrs. Mary Wall, aged 60 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Odessa" departing 9th June 1847 from Dublin, Ireland; the ship arrived on 9th August 1847 but she died on board 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wall migration to Australia +

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

Wall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Richard Wall, British convict who was convicted in Devon, England for life, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Thomas Wall, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. Thomas Wall, (b. 1794), aged 21, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life for breaking and entering, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1880 14
Mr. Thomas Wall, English convict who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 13th July 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Eliza Wall, English convict from Derby, who was transported aboard the "America" on December 30, 1830, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wall 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:

Wall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Wall, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. Anthony Wall, (b. 1807), aged 34, British agricultural labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 17
Mrs. Susanna Wall, (b. 1811), aged 30, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 17
Miss Sarah Wall, (b. 1828), aged 13, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 17
Mr. Anthony Wall, (b. 1836), aged 5, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wall migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18

Wall Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Theobald Wall, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler traveling aboard the ship "William and John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 19
Mr. Walter Wall, (b. 1619), aged 16, British settler traveling aboard the ship "William and John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 19
Matthew Wall, who arrived in Jamaica in 1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Wall (post 1700) +

Robert Wall (1939-2022), American actor and martial artist, known for his work on Enter the Dragon (1973), The Way of the Dragon (1972) and Game of Death (1978)
William Guy Wall (1792-1864), Irish-born, American painter
Shady Robert Wall (1922-1985), American banker and philanthropist
Shannon J. Wall (1919-2007), American merchant seaman and labor leader
Lyndsay Wall (b. 1985), American silver and bronze medalist ice hockey player from Visalia, California
Lucille Wall (1898-1986), American actress, best known for her role as Lucille March Weeks on the soap opera General Hospital from 1963 to 1976
Joseph Frazier Wall (1920-1995), American Pulitzer Prize nominated historian and professor of history
Larry Wall (1954-1987), American computer programmer and author, creator of the Perl programming language in 1987
Johnathan Hildred Wall Jr. (b. 1990), American NBA basketball point guard
James Sean Wall (b. 1964), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Gallup (2009-)
... (Another 36 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wall family +

Victoria steamboat disaster

John Wall, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881
Martha Wall, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 59)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 98)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1830 with 135 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1830
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm