Show ContentsWillsoom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Viking-Scottish name Willsoom is derived from the personal name William. The name literally was derived from the patronymic expression son of William or son of Wil. 1

"The family are said to be descended from a Prince of Denmark, and were established at a very remote period in the Orkney islands, intermarrying with the clans of Monro, and others. After a long continuance in the north, alliances taking place with some of the principal Lowland families, the Wilsons moved southward. " 2

Early Origins of the Willsoom family

The surname Willsoom was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where John Wulson was a merchant in the service of Sir John of Montgomery in 1405. Michael Wilsoun was Burgess of Irvine in 1418, and John Wilson was Burgess of Berwick in 1467. 1

Early History of the Willsoom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willsoom research. Another 237 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1567, 1603, 1662, 1667, 1680, 1685, 1704, 1750 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Willsoom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willsoom Spelling Variations

The spellings of Scottish names dating from the medieval era often bear little resemblance to those seen today. They vary enormously because scribes in that time spelled according to their ears. Some spelling variations of the name Willsoom include Wilson, Willson, Wilsone, Wulson, Wilsoun and others.

Early Notables of the Willsoom family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Margaret Wilson (died 1685), one of the Wigton martyrs, a young Scottish Covenanter from Wigtownshire executed by drowning for refusing to swear an oath declaring James VII; and John Willison (1680-1750), an evangelical minister of the Church of Scotland and a writer of Christian literature. Margaret Wilson (1667-1685), the 'martyr of the Solway,' and the eldest daughter of Gilbert Wilson (d. 1704), a yeoman of Penninghame, Wigtownshire, was born at Glenvernock in that parish in 1667. " Though her parents conformed to episcopacy, Margaret and her younger sister Agnes refused to do so. On...
Another 124 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Willsoom Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Willsoom family to Ireland

Some of the Willsoom family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 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 Willsoom family

The farms of Scottish settlers soon dotted the east coast of the colonies that would become the nations of the United States and Canada. Many of those migrants and their children went on to play important roles in the founding the great nations of North America. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name Willsoom or a variant listed above, including: John Wilson, who settled in Virginia in 1623; Christopher Wilson, a Scotch prisoner sent to Boston in 1651; Andrew Wilson, who arrived in New England in 1651.



The Willsoom 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: Vincit qui se vincit
Motto Translation: He conquers, who conquers himself.


  1. 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)
  2. Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.


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