Woollard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Woollard is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Woollard comes from the Norman given name Willard. This name is derived from the Germanic roots will, meaning desire, and heard, meaning strong or hard. 1

Early Origins of the Woollard family

The surname Woollard was first found in east Kent and Sussex where they were Lords of the Manor of Eastbourne. The family were originally named Villiard, or Guillarrt, and were from Caen in Normandy in pre Conquest times. 2 In the Domesday Book they are recorded variously as Wielardus, Wilardus, and Wlward. 3 4 Further speculation on the origin of this distinguished family name of the U.S.A., can be deduced from the Willard Memoir by Joseph Willard published in Boston Mass. in 1858. 4 Woollard is a small village on the River Chew in the Chew Valley in East Somerset. Some of the first records of the name include: Wihelardus de Trophil who was listed in the History of Northumberland in 1168 and Wilard de Pikeeden who was listed in the same source in 1227. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Emayn Wylard. William Willarde was listed in Kent in 1602 and Nicholas Willard from Kent married Jane Coumber at Canterbury in 1690. 5

Early History of the Woollard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woollard research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1605, 1617, 1630, 1634, 1640, 1643, 1672, 1676, 1692, 1701 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Woollard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woollard 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 Willard, Wilard, Viliard, Villiard, Wielard, Willardby, Willardsey, Willardsham, Willardstone and many more.

Early Notables of the Woollard family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Simon Willard (1605-1676), English settler to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1634, he was one of the thirteen heads of families in Concord that signed Reverend Peter Bulkeley's 1643 petition to Governor John Endecott in support of Ambrose Martin...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woollard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woollard migration to the United States +

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 Woollard or a variant listed above were:

Woollard Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Henry Woollard, aged 54, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1905
George Woollard, aged 21, who immigrated to America from Newmarket, England, in 1906
Charles Robert Woollard, aged 23, who settled in America from Walthamstow, England, in 1907
Charles Frederich Woollard, aged 39, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1911
Francis William Woollard, aged 17, who landed in America from Ousden, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Woollard migration to Australia +

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

Woollard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Jonathan Woollard, Jr., English convict who was convicted in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 2nd November 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Edward Samuel Woollard, aged 35, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "General Hewett"

Contemporary Notables of the name Woollard (post 1700) +

George P. Woollard, American member of the Technical Panel on Seismology and Gravity for the U.S. National Committee, eponym of Mount Woollard, Antarctica
Sister Joyce Mansfield Woollard (1923-1997), English missionary to India
Joan Elizabeth Woollard (1916-2008), English sculptor from Birmingham, England, daughter of Frank George Woollard
Dr. Alison Woollard (b. 1968), English Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford
Gary John Woollard (1942-2021), New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand, including at the 1970 World Cup
Herbert Henry Woollard (1889-1939), Australian academic, anatomist and army medical officer, Assistant Professor of Anatomy at University College, London (1923-1927)
Chad Woollard (b. 1979), Canadian professional ice hockey player
Joanne Woollard, British two-time Academy Award nominated art director
Frank George Woollard MBE (1883-1957), British mechanical engineer in the automotive industry, pioneer in what is today called "lean management"
William Woollard (b. 1939), British television producer and presenter
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Woollard family +

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Gladys Woollard (1898-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 7

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th March 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
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