Contents [hide]

Willson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Willson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The Willson surname in England is a patronymic, created from the Medieval personal name Will. Thus Willson means "son of Will."

Early Origins of the Willson family

The surname Willson was first found in Northern England, where the first on record appears to be Robert Willeson, listed in the Court Rolls of the manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1324. Other early records include a Robert Wilson in 1341 in documents from the Cistercian Abbey of Kirkstall, Yorkshire; and John Willison in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire of 1366. 1

Johannes Willeson, Adam Wyllson and Thomas Wyllson were listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2 There was a place named Wilson in Devon that has existed since at least the time of the Domesday Book. 3

High Melton is of great significance to the family. "This parish, called in Domesday Book Middeltun, is situated on the northern acclivity of the vale of the Dearne, and comprises 1500 acres, of which 1000 are arable and pasture, and the remainder wood and plantations. The lands are chiefly the property of Richard Fountayne Wilson, Esq., whose seat of Melton Hall has extensive pleasure-grounds, tastefully laid out." 4 Langham Hall in Suffolk "is chiefly the property of the family of Wilson." 4

The name is "distributed over the whole of England, except in the region south of a line joining the mouths of the Thames and the Severn, where it is absent or rare. It is most crowded in the northern half of the country, being there numerous in all the counties, especially in the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire, the Wilsons, of Broomhead, in the West Biding, resided there from the 13th to the 18th century 5, and in Cumberland and Westmorland; but it has two centres in the southern half of the country, in Worcestershire and Cambridgeshire. It extends in force across the Scottish border, and is very numerous in the region south of the Forth and the Clyde." 6

Early History of the Willson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willson research. The years 1508, 1509, 1525, 1533, 1548, 1563, 1572, 1574, 1579, 1581, 1583, 1586, 1591, 1595, 1600, 1601, 1602, 1607, 1613, 1622, 1626, 1627, 1630, 1631, 1635, 1641, 1650, 1652, 1654, 1655, 1663, 1667, 1674, 1689, 1693, 1694, 1696, 1699, 1702, 1708, 1710, 1755, 1772 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Willson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wilson, Willson, Willison, Willston and others.

Early Notables of the Willson family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Mr. Doctor Wilson, listed in the House of Commons Journal in 1572; John Wilson (1595-1674), an English composer, lutenist and teacher from Faversham, Kent. John Wilson (c.1591-1667), was an English Puritan clergyman who sailed aboard the Winthrop Fleet arriving in 1630 and became minister of the First Church of Boston from 1630 until his death in 1667. John Wilson (1626-1696), was an English playwright and lawyer; and Sir William Wilson (1641-1710), an English architect, builder and sculptor from Leicester. Arthur Wilson (1595-1652), was a historian and dramatist, baptised 14 Dec. 1595, was the son of...
Another 307 words (22 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Willson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willson Ranking

In the United States, the name Willson is the 3,303^rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Willson family to Ireland

Some of the Willson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Willson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Gabriell Willson, who landed in Virginia in 1650 8
Faith Willson, who arrived in Maryland in 1652-1653 8
Henry Willson, who landed in Virginia in 1654 8
Jeffry Willson, who landed in Virginia in 1654 8
Robert Willson, who arrived in Virginia in 1657 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Willson, who landed in North Carolina in 1702 8
Ann Willson, who arrived in North Carolina in 1702 8
William Willson, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 8
Charles Willson, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 8
Samuel Willson, who landed in North Carolina in 1748 8

Willson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Zachariah Willson, aged 64, who arrived in New York in 1812 8
Edward Willson, aged 19, who landed in New York in 1812 8
Abraham R Willson, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1812 8
Alexander Willson, who landed in New York in 1812 8
George Willson, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1812 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Willson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Benjamin Willson U.E. (b. 1739) born in New Jersey, USA from Wantage, Sussex County, New Jersey, USA who settled in Bertie [Fort Erie], Niagara, Ontario c. 1784 married to Sarah Crowell having 5 children he died in 1805 9
Mr. Crowell Willson U.E. who settled in Willoughby [Niagara Falls], Ontario c. 1784 9
Mr. John Willson U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
Mr. Joseph Willson U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
Mr. Joshua Willson U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Hiram R Willson, who arrived in Canada in 1828
Levi Willson, who landed in Canada in 1832
Mordecai Willson, who landed in Canada in 1832
Richard D Willson, who landed in Canada in 1834
Asher Willson, who arrived in Canada in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willson Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Wynne Willson, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Willson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Willson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Elizabeth Willson, British Convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Miss Elizabeth Willson, (Wilson), (b. 1808), aged 18, Irish convict who was convicted in Ireland, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1827 aboard the ship 11
Mr. John Willson, (b. 1799), aged 28, Irish weaver who was convicted in Longford, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 19th July 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12

Willson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Willson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Willson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 3rd November 1859 13
Mrs. Eliza Willson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 3rd November 1859 13
Miss Selina Willson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Maori" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 3rd November 1859 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Willson (post 1700) +

Robert Meredith Willson (1902-1984), American composer, playwright and posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1987
Henry Willson (1911-1978), American talent agent, known for bringing Rock Hudson, Chad Everett, Robert Wagner, Troy Donahue, Mike Connors, John Saxon, Clint Walker, Doug McClure, John Derek and other to the movie and television screens of America
Forceythe Willson (1837-1867), American poet, brother of Augustus E. Willson
Augustus E. Willson (1846-1931), American politician, 36th Governor of Kentucky (1907-1911)
Paul Willson (b. 1945), American actor, known for his roles in Office Space (1999), Cheers (1982) and It's Garry Shandling's Show (1986)
Vice Admiral Russell Willson (1883-1948), American Vice Admiral, inventor of the Naval Cipher Box
Brian Willson (b. 1941), American USAF veteran, activist
Quentin Willson (b. 1957), English TV presenter and motoring journalist, perhaps best known as a presenter of Britain's Worst Driver, Fifth Gear, and the original incarnation of Top Gear
William Willson MBE (1972-1975), English chairman of Aston Martin
Mr. Leon Willson, British Councillor, held the position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from October 1949 to May 1950, he was Lord Mayor in 1952
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Willson family +

HMS Cornwall

Gerald Francis Willson (d. 1942), British Stoker 2nd Class aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 14

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A