Wake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The name Wake is part of the ancient legacy of the early Norman inhabitants that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Wake was a Norman name used for a watchful or vigilant person having derived from the Old Norse word vakr, meaning watchful. 1

A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. There is however, much discrepancy over the origin of the name. One source claims the name originates with Hugh Wac, lord of Wilesford, Lincolnshire. Another claims the name originated with Hereward le Wake (fl. 1070-1071) during the time of Edward the Confessor. Apparently, an outlaw, there are "a few references to him in the chronicles and an account of his possessions in Domesday are all that we really know of him. But his exploits in defending Ely from the Normans caused the generation succeeding his own to regard him as the popular hero of the English resistance to their French conquerors." 2

"It thus seems clear, that the first authentic appearance of the name of Wake in the descendants of Hereward was through an intermarriage with a Norman family nearly one hundred years after his death." 3

Archbishop Wake disowned the Norman ancestry thinking the name was originally Le Wake, or the Watchful, a skilled military commander. 4

And another source claims that the individual by the name of Wake recorded in the Roll of Battle Abbey was weary of Harold's rule and fled to Normandy and while there "invited" Duke William to conquer Britain. Lord Wake who died in 1156, was founder of the Abbey of Brun and was claimed descent from Sir Thomas Wake, a gallant knight who fought with the Black Prince. He was sheriff of Northamptonshire under Edward II for many years. 5

Early Origins of the Wake family

The surname Wake was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Wilsford (Wivelesforde) and under tenants of Godfrey de Cambrai, and represented by Le Sire de Wake. Hugo Wach was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. 1

"The Wakes are mentioned by Brompton as in the immediate train of the Conqueror; but it is the opinion of antiquaries that the individual of the name of Wake recorded in the Roll of Battle Abbey, was one of those who being weary of Harold's rule, fled into Normandy, and invited Duke William; hence the family is supposed to have been of importance prior in the Conquest." 5

Other early records include Baldwin Wake, Lord Wake, (died 1282), as a famous warrior and progenitor of the following early line of nobles: John Wake (died 1300), 1st Baron Wake of Liddell and his son Thomas Wake (1297-1349), 2nd Baron Wake of Liddell, an English baron; and daughter Margaret Wake (c. 1297-1349), wife of Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent. This line belonged to the Lincolnshire family which also had lands in Cumberland.

In Yorkshire, one of the first records was that of William le Wacce who was a Knights Templar in 1185. 1

"Baynard's Castle, in the East Riding [of Yorkshire], was among the multifarious possessions of the Wakes; and there is a local tradition that it was burnt down by the owner on the very night that he had received intimation of the coming of Henry VII. The King, who was then at Hull, signified his intention of paying him a visit and Wake, who had a remarkably handsome wife, and was unable to decline the proffered honour, preferred the loss of his house to the risk of the King's admiration." 3

Early History of the Wake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wake research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1070, 1071, 1073, 1086, 1349, 1580, 1632, 1657, 1716 and 1737 are included under the topic Early Wake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wake Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Wake, Waik, Wayke and others.

Early Notables of the Wake family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Wake Ranking

In the United States, the name Wake is the 14,153rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6


Wake migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Wake name or one of its variants:

Wake Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Wake Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wake migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wake Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Wake migration to Australia +

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

Wake Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Wake 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:

Wake Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Wake migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15
Wake Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Wake (post 1700) +


The Wake 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: Vigila et Ora
Motto Translation: Watch and Pray
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