Wismint History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The history of the name Wismint goes back those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain. Such a name was given to a wise or learned person. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English words wis, meaning wise or knowledgeable, and man, meaning man. 1

The family could have ultimately been Norman in origin as "Wisman, of Falaise, Normandy, occurs t. William I. (during the reign of William I)" 2

Early Origins of the Wismint family

The surname Wismint was first found in Essex where they "belonging to the distinguished families of Rivenhall, Northend, Great Baddow, Felstead, etc., and played an important part in the county and frequently served as high sheriffs." 3

One of the first records of the family was Ranulph Wisman who witnessed a charter of Beatrix de Say, c. 1140, in favour of Waltham Abbey, Essex. Reginald Wisman, of Essex was listed in 1194. 4

By the 13th century, records of the name were scattered as seen by the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which listed Roger Wyseinan, Oxfordshire; Alan Wysman, Cambridgeshire; and John Wysman, Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Wysman and Petrus Wysman.

Further to the north in Scotland, Wismint was "an old surname in Angus and Moray. Andrea Wysman witnessed excambion of the lands of Dolays Mychel in 1232, and in the following year attested a confirmation charter by Andrew, bishop of Moray. " 5

Early History of the Wismint family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wismint research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1232, 1285, 1296, 1305, 1393, 1484, 1513, 1612, 1622, 1629, 1630, 1632, 1643, 1656, 1661, 1676, 1677, 1679, 1685, 1688 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Wismint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wismint Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Wismint family name include Wiseman, Wyseman, Wysman, Wisman and others.

Early Notables of the Wismint family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Simon Wyssman, knighted in 1513 by King Henry 8th as a result of Sir John's bravery in action at the Battle of Spurs in the Hundred Years War; Sir Thomas Wiseman of Rivenhall, Essex; and his son, Sir William Wiseman, 1st Baronet (c.1629-1688), an...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wismint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wismint family to Ireland

Some of the Wismint family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wismint family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Wismint or a variant listed above: Henry and Catherine Wiseman, who settled in Maryland in 1634; John Wiseman, who settled in Virginia in 1652; Henry Wiseman, who settled in Maryland in 1719.

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)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)