| ![Show Contents]() Weight History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Weight is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as 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 Weight familyThe surname Weight 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 Weight familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weight 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 Weight History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Weight Spelling VariationsBefore 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 Weight include Waite, Wait, Wayte, Waits, Waight and others. Early Notables of the Weight familyNotables 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 Weight Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Weight RankingIn the United States, the name Weight is the 16,680th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6  Migration of the Weight family to Ireland
Some of the Weight 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.
| Weight 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:
Weight Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Jonathan Weight, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 7
Weight Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Elizabeth Weight, a bonded passenger, who arrived in Annapolis, MD, in 1725
Weight Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Matthew Weight, who landed in New York in 1820 7
- Christ Weight, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 7
| Weight migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Weight Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- William Weight, who arrived in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862
| Weight migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Weight Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- T. Weight, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1849 8
| Weight 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. 9Weight Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century- Joane Weight, a servant sent to the "foreign plantation" of Barbados in 1658
| Contemporary Notables of the name Weight (post 1700) | + |
- Douglas Daniel "Doug" Weight (b. 1971), former American professional ice hockey player, current Assistant Coach and Special Assistant to the General Manager for the New York Islanders
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.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- 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
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque WILLIAM WATSON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849WilliamWatson.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
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Weight migration to the United States 
Weight migration to Canada 
Weight migration to Australia 
Weight migration to West Indies 
England-Alt
Ireland
Scotland
