Contents [hide]

Wier History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Wier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland
Ireland
England

The surname Wier is of Norman origin. It was introduced into Normandy by Norsemen where it was derived from the Old Norse word "ver" which meant a "station" or "fishing station." After the Norman Conquest, the name was later derived from the Old English word "wær," or "wer," meaning "a weir." In both cases, the name was a topographic name. 1

Early Origins of the Wier family

The surname Wier was first found in Roxburghshire, where they were descended from Aubri de Vere, a descendant of the Duchess Judith in 1058. His son, another Aubri, accompanied William the Conqueror to Hastings in 1066, and built a castle at Hedingham in Essex, and held Kensington in Middlesex.

He was the ancestor of the Earls of Oxford. Although the de Veres were highly respected members of the aristocracy in England, a branch of the family moved northward in 1069 and settled in the lowlands of Scotland at Sprowestun, in Roxburghshire.

Another source provides more detail: "Of Norman origin from one or other of the places named Vere in Calvados, Manche, Eure-et-Loire, and Oise. The word was introduced into Normandy by the Norsemen from their own ver, a station, as in fiskiver, a fishing station, a word etymologically akin to Old English weir, wear, a dam. Ralph or Radulphus de Ver is perhaps the first of the name recorded in Scotland. As Ralph de Ver he was taken prisoner at Alnwick along with William the Lion in 1174. He witnessed a charter by King William "de decimis episcopatus" of Moray between 1174-84." 2

"The Weirs of Lesmahago, Blackwood, &c., in Lanarkshire, claim descent from the great baronial family of De Vere, having been founded in Scotland by Baltredus de Vere, in the reign of Malcolm IV., about the middle of the twelfth century. From documents quoted in Chambers' Caledonia, it appears that the name Vere, or Weir, was by no means uncommon among the Norman settlers in Scotland, in that century." 3

Some remained in England as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 noted: John de la Were, Oxfordshire; and Robert de la Were, Gloucestershire. 1

Early History of the Wier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wier research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1012, 1069, 1174, 1296, 1398, 1400, 1432, 1489, 1497, 1600, 1638, 1662, 1670, 1694, 1713, 1794, 1838, 1876 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wier Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Weir, Vere, Ver and others.

Early Notables of the Wier family

Notable among the family at this time was Rebecca Weir, grandmother of Ulysses S. Grant, U.S. President.Thomas Weir (1600?-1670), was a reputed sorcerer, son of a Lanarkshire proprietor in Clydesdale. "Whether influenced by remorse or lunacy, or a combination of the two, Weir, though he never professed any penitence, made a voluntary confession to the authorities of incest, sorcery, and other crimes; and, after trial, on 9 April 1670, during...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wier Ranking

In the United States, the name Wier is the 11,928^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Wier family to Ireland

Some of the Wier family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 115 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wier migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wier Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Wier, who landed in Maryland in 1668 5

Wier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Archibald Wier, who arrived in New Hampshire in 1721
Andreas Wier, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 5

Wier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Archibald Wier, aged 35, who landed in New York in 1812 5
Joseph Wier, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 5
Patrick Wier, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1818 5
William Wier, who arrived in Mississippi in 1831 5

Wier migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wier Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Daniel Wier, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1761

Contemporary Notables of the name Wier (post 1700) +

Murray Neal Wier (1926-2016), nicknamed "Rampaging Redhead" and "Wizard Wier," an American professional basketball player
Robert W. Wier, American founder of the Wier Longleaf Lumber Company, East Texas that ran from 1917 to 1944 and founder of Wiergate, Texas
Roy Wier (1888-1963), American politician, U.S. Representative from Minnesota
Ester Wier (1910-2000), American writer
Dara Wier (b. 1949), American poet
Allen Wier (b. 1946), American writer and professor at the University of Tennessee
Roy William Wier (1888-1963), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives, 1933-39; U.S. Representative from Minnesota 3rd District, 1949-61; Defeated, 1946, 1960 6
Herbert W. Wier, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Batavia, 1922 6
A. J. Wier, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1907 6
Russell Allen "Rusty" Wier (1944-2009), American singer-songwriter from Texas, best known for his "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance", inductee into the Austin Music Awards Hall of Fame (2002)
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wier family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. William Lewis Wier (1850-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 7
Mr. Joseph Wier (1879-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 7

The Wier Motto +

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: Vero nihil verius
Motto Translation: Nothing truer than truth.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance