Wilingman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Wilingman family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Derbyshire, at Willington.

Early Origins of the Wilingman family

The surname Wilingman was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Willington. John of Willington held a family seat there at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book, 1 a survey taken by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066 A.D. At the survey Willington was held by Ralph FitzHubert, a Norman overlord, and it is most likely that John of Willington was the second son of Ralph, who took his name from the Lordship of Willington, as was customary in the Norman culture.

The village and civil parish of Cherry Willingham is in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire and Willingham by Stow is a rural village nearby.

Early History of the Wilingman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilingman research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1322 and 1330 are included under the topic Early Wilingman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilingman Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Willington, Willinton, Wilington, Wilinton, de Willington and many more.

Early Notables of the Wilingman family

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

Migration of the Wilingman family to Ireland

Some of the Wilingman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wilingman family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Wilingman or a variant listed above were: Jane Willington who settled in Virginia in 1699; Mary Willington settled in Jamaica in 1684; and another Mary Willington settled in Virginia in 1653; William Willington settled in Maryland in 1718..

The Wilingman 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: Vigueur de dessus
Motto Translation: Strength is from above.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)