Show ContentsWeatherley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Weatherley is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Weatherley family lived at Wetherby in West Yorkshire, a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds. "The Saxon name of this town, whence the present is obviously deduced, was Wederbi, a term intended to designate its situation on a bend of the river Wharfe." 1 Today in the United States, there are two towns listed: Weatherby, Missouri; and Weatherby Lake, Missouri

Early Origins of the Weatherley family

The surname Weatherley was first found in West Yorkshire where one of the first records was of Ivo de Werreby in 1214; and Richard de Wetherby in 1302. 2 Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Robertas de Wethirby as living there at that time. 3

Conjecturally the Wetherby family are descended from Ralph of Intwood, who held the lands and village of Intwood from Eudo, Steward to William the Conqueror. Intwood consisted of a church, a mill, nine horses, and thirty sheep, as recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. 4

Wetherby is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wedrebi, thought to derive from wether- or ram-farm or else meaning "settlement on the bend of a river". 5 Local folklore has it that when heavy snow storms hit the county, Wetherby does not get as much because the "Weather Goes By."

Early History of the Weatherley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weatherley research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1461 is included under the topic Early Weatherley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weatherley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Weatherley have been found, including Wetherby, Weatherby, Wetherbie, Wetherbee, Witherby and many more.

Early Notables of the Weatherley family

More information is included under the topic Early Weatherley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Weatherley migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Weatherley were among those contributors:

Weatherley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Weatherley, aged 21, who landed in Virginia in 1773 6
Weatherley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Irene Weatherley, aged 8, who landed in America, in 1894
  • Jane Weatherley, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1895
Weatherley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mrs. Weatherley, who landed in America from Bath, in 1903
  • Mrs. Ma. H. Weatherley, who landed in America, in 1903
  • Thomas A. Weatherley, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
  • Mrs. J. S. Weatherley, aged 50, who immigrated to America, in 1904
  • James S. Weatherley, who settled in America, in 1905
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Weatherley (post 1700) +

  • James Weatherley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Gold Democrat National Convention from Alabama, 1896 7
  • Stephen John "Steve" Weatherley (b. 1957), English former motorcycle speedway rider
  • Michael Richard Weatherley (1957-2021), British Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament for Hove (2010-2015)
  • David John Weatherley (b. 1939), New Zealand actor and voice actor, best known for the voice of Barliman Butterbur in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  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. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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