Welton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Welton was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Welton family lived in Northamptonshire, at Weldon.
Early Origins of the Welton family
The surname Welton was first found in Northamptonshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Weldon, and are conjecturally descended from Robert de Bucy, a Norman Baron who acquired Weldon, an ancient Roman villa, from Olaf, from King William for his assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
"The Tower, the manorial seat of the ancient family of Welton [in Northumberland], is fast going to decay; there are still remaining in tolerable preservation, two handsome rooms with Oriel windows. The Hall, an ancient mansion which, according to an inscription on the walls, was repaired in 1614, is still occupied." 1
Welton is also a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire which literally means "farmstead by a spring or stream." 2
Early History of the Welton family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Welton research. Another 30 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1352, 1362, 1583, 1603, 1648, 1649, 1650, 1674, 1676, 1713, 1723 and 1736 are included under the topic Early Welton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Welton Spelling Variations
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Weldon, Veldon, Velton and others.
Early Notables of the Welton family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
- Gilbert Welton (or Gilbert de Wilton), Bishop of Carlisle (1352-1362); Sir Anthony Weldon (1583-1648), an English 17th Century courtier and politician, purported author of "The Court and Character of...
Welton Ranking
In the United States, the name Welton is the 5,895th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3
Migration of the Welton family to Ireland
Some of the Welton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Welton migration to the United States +
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Welton or a variant listed above:
Welton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- William Welton, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 4
- Margarett Welton, who landed in Virginia in 1657 4
Welton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John Welton, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1724-1728 4
Welton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Mrs. E L Welton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
- A Welton, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
Welton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Alfred Welton, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from Staindrop, England, in 1911
- Amos Welton, aged 21, who landed in America from Donegal, Ireland, in 1913
- Edward Welton, aged 38, who landed in America from Hatfield, England, in 1914
- Bessie Mary Welton, aged 37, who immigrated to America from Portsmouth, England, in 1916
- Edward Welton, aged 49, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1924
Welton migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Welton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Isaac Welton, who arrived in Canada in 1836
- Mandly Welton, who arrived in Canada in 1841
Welton migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Welton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- John Welton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Branken Moor" in 1849 5
- Randall Welton, aged 30, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Reliance" 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Welton (post 1700) +
- William Leslie Welton (1874-1934), American architect, known for his work in Birmingham, Alabama
- Norman Welton (1928-2009), American journalist who worked for the Associated Press for 44 years
- Alton Roy Welton (1886-1958), American Olympic track and field athlete who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics
- Pat Welton, English former footballer who played from 1949 to 1959 and coached from 1959 to 1969
- Ray Welton, English brewer from Capel, Surrey, founder of Welton's Brewery in 1995
- Guy Welton (b. 1978), English cricketer
- Thomas Abercrombie Welton, British statistician and chartered accountant, recipient of the Guy Medal in Silver (1901)
- Miles Welton Lord (1919-2016), American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Minnesota State House of Representatives, 1950; U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, 1961-66; U.S. District Judge for Minnesota, 1966
- James Welton Horne (1853-1922), Canadian land developer, businessman, and politician
- Welton Claude Ehrhardt (1894-1980), American pitcher in Major League Baseball
The Welton 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: Bene factum
Motto Translation: Benefits
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BRANKEN MOOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849BrankenMoor.htm
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RELIANCE 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Reliance.htm