Whale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The name Whale reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Whale family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Whale family lived in Berwickshire, at Le Whele, near the Whele Causey (Wheel Causeway) a Roman road which passes through the county. Some occurrences of the name may be derived from the original bearer's residence in Wales.

Early Origins of the Whale family

The surname Whale was first found in Berwickshire where they held a family seat from early times, at a place named Le Whele.

Early History of the Whale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whale research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1684 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Whale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whale 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 Whale, Whele, Whaill and others.

Early Notables of the Whale family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was


Whale 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 Whale name or one of its variants:

Whale Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Whale Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Whale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Whale migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Whale Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Whale migration to Australia +

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

Whale Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Whale 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:

Whale Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Whale (post 1700) +
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