Show ContentsWaterford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Waterford is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Waterford family lived in Valtierville, in the Seine-Inferieur region of France, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. [1]

Early Origins of the Waterford family

The surname Waterford was first found in Northampton where they were Lords of the manor of Waterfield, and descended from a Norman noble from Waterville in Normandy. The sire of the family was John de Wateville who was succeeded by Sir Roger de Wateville, and then Sir Geffrey Wateville. William de Waterville, abbot of Peterborough founded a Benedictine nunnery in St. Martin's, Northamptonshire in honour of our Lady St. Mary and St. Michael temp. Henry II. [2]

Wilielmus de Watevilla is a witness to a charter of Robert de Mellent to the Abbey of Jumieges, about the time of the Norman survey; and he himself gave to that monastery, with the consent of his wife, the church, fair, and tithes of Croixman, in the Pays de Caux. It is apparent, from the accounts of the Norman Exchequer Rolls, that in 1195, Vatteville was a Royal residence, when the King hunted in the forest of Vatteville. Among the items furnished by its custodian, Robert d'Appeville, are 'four nets to catch wild boars, two tunics for the use of two dog-keepers,'. Three De Watevilles are entered in Domesday: William, who held of the King in Essex and Suffolk, and Percinges (Perching) of William de Warrenne, with two other manors—one of which was Brighton—in Sussex; Robert, who held de capite in Surrey, with five manors in other counties, under Richard de Tonbridge; and Richard, an under-tenant in Surrey." [3]

Early History of the Waterford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Waterford research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1144, 1155, 1158 and 1292 are included under the topic Early Waterford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Waterford Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Waterfield, Waterfall, Wateville, Waterville and others.

Early Notables of the Waterford family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Waterford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Waterford migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Waterford or a variant listed above:

Waterford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mich Waterford, who landed in Virginia in 1657 [4]
  • Marmaduke Waterford, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 [4]
  • Peter Waterford, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 [4]
  • Roger Waterford, who landed in Virginia in 1665 [4]
  • William Waterford, who arrived in Virginia in 1696 [4]

Australia Waterford migration to Australia +

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

Waterford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Waterford, British Convict who was convicted in Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts) for 14 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 [5]


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  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. 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)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835


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