Show ContentsWylly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Wylly was first used by the ancient Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The first Wylly to use this name no doubt lived in Dumfries where today more often than not, the name is typically spelt either Wylie or Wyllie. 1

Early Origins of the Wylly family

The surname Wylly was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), where the first on record was Donald Wyly, tenant of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, 1376. Later, John Wili held a land in Montrose, 1431, and Robert Wylye was vicar of Kilcoldrum, 1434. William Wyly, was a witness in Prestwick, Ayrshire, 1446, Robert Wyly, was a charter witness in Glasgow, 1454, and Richard Wyly, was vicar of Dundee in 1458. 1

Early History of the Wylly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wylly research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1509, 1529, 1530, 1550, 1563, 1575, 1590, 1642, 1643, 1645, 1653, 1659, 1680, 1768, 1772, 1790, 1794, 1799, 1801, 1802, 1808, 1819, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1831, 1833, 1835, 1839, 1841, 1847, 1850, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1862, 1865, 1870, 1871, 1890 and 1891 are included under the topic Early Wylly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wylly Spelling Variations

Scribes in Medieval Scotland spelled names by sound rather than any set of rules, so an enormous number of spelling variations exist in names of that era. Wylly has been spelled Wiley, Wylie, Whyley, Wyley, Wilie, Wyllie and others.

Early Notables of the Wylly family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • George Wyllys or Wyllis (1590-1645), born at the manor of Fenny Compton in Warwickshire, an English-born, early American politician who served as the 4th Governor of the Connecticut Colony (1642-1643...

Ireland Migration of the Wylly family to Ireland

Some of the Wylly family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Wylly migration to the United States +

The number of Strathclyde Clan families sailing for North America increased steadily as the persecution continued. In the colonies, they could find not only freedom from the iron hand of the English government, but land to settle on. The American War of Independence allowed many of these settlers to prove their independence, while some chose to go to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots played essential roles in the forging of both great nations. Among them:

Wylly Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Peter Wylly, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 2
  • Rosey Wylly, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 2
Wylly Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • C G Wylly, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1860 2

Canada Wylly migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wylly Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Capt. Alexander Wylly U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 he served in the King's Rangers 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Wylly (post 1700) +

  • John Wylly, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County, 1791-93 4
  • Guy George Egerton Wylly VC, CB, DSO (1880-1962), Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Harold Carmichael Wylly CB (1858-1932), British Army colonel and military historian, editor of RUSI Journal, the journal of the Royal United Services Institute (1913-1923), awarded the Chesney Gold Medal in 1929


The Wylly 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: Fides
Motto Translation: Faith.


  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. 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)
  3. 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
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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