Show ContentsWelshans History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Welshans family

The surname Welshans was first found in Montgomeryshire (Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn), located in mid-Eastern Wales, one of thirteen historic counties, and anciently the medieval kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn. Conjecturally they descend from Rolf de Valeys who held the manor and castle of Yaire. Adam the Welshman (c. 1130-1181) was a Welsh theologian and Bishop of St Asaph from 1175 to 1181. Little is known of his life and many people believe he was one in the same as Adam of Balsham ((c. 1100-1157.)

Early History of the Welshans family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Welshans research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1176, 1187, 1665, 1732, 1736 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Welshans History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Welshans Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Welshans has occasionally been spelled Welshman, Welchman and others.

Early Notables of the Welshans family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Edward Welchman (1665-1739), English theologian, son of John Welchman, 'gentleman,' of Banbury, Oxfordshire. "He became chaplain to the bishop of Lichfield, who collated him...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Welshans Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Welshans migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Welshans:

Welshans Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Abram Welshans, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1739 1
  • Joseph Welshans, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 1


  1. 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)


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