Wilson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The saga of the name Wilson begins among the Viking settlers who arrived in Scotland in the medieval era. The name Wilson is derived from the personal name William. The name literally was derived from the patronymic expression son of William or son of Wil. 1

"The family are said to be descended from a Prince of Denmark, and were established at a very remote period in the Orkney islands, intermarrying with the clans of Monro, and others. After a long continuance in the north, alliances taking place with some of the principal Lowland families, the Wilsons moved southward. " 2

Early Origins of the Wilson family

The surname Wilson was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland, where John Wulson was a merchant in the service of Sir John of Montgomery in 1405. Michael Wilsoun was Burgess of Irvine in 1418, and John Wilson was Burgess of Berwick in 1467. 1

Early History of the Wilson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilson research. Another 237 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1567, 1603, 1662, 1667, 1680, 1685, 1704, 1750 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wilson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilson Spelling Variations

Contemporary spellings of ancient Scottish names often bear little resemblance to the original recorded versions. These spelling variations result from the fact that medieval scribes spelled words and names alike according to their sounds. Wilson has been spelled Wilson, Willson, Wilsone, Wulson, Wilsoun and others.

Early Notables of the Wilson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

Wilson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Wilson is the 8th most popular surname with an estimated 843,093 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Wilson is ranked the 8th most popular surname with an estimated 82,768 people with that name. 4 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Wilson is the 554th popular surname. 5 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Wilson as 689th with 63 people. 6 Australia ranks Wilson as 5th with 92,731 people. 7 New Zealand ranks Wilson as 6th with 8,044 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Wilson as 6th with 200,236 people. 9 South Africa ranks Wilson as 314th with 21,443 people. 10

Migration of the Wilson family to Ireland

Some of the Wilson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Wilson migration to the United States +

The colonies on the fertile east coast of North America soon had many farms run by Scots. These hardy settlers provided a backbone for the great nations of the United States and Canada that would emerge in the next centuries. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name Wilson or a variant listed above, including:

Wilson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Wilson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Wilson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Wilson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Wilson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wilson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Wilson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Wilson migration to Australia +

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

Wilson Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Wilson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Wilson 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:

Wilson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
Wilson Settlers in New Zealand in the 20th Century

Wilson 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. 21
Wilson Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Wilson (post 1700) +


The Wilson 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: Vincit qui se vincit
Motto Translation: He conquers, who conquers himself.


Suggested Readings for the name Wilson +
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