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The name Wolfson has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in one of a variety of similarly-named places. Settlements named Woolstone are in Buckinghamshire and Devon. Wolstan is a parish in Warwickshire and Woolston is a hamlet in Somerset. The surname Wolfson belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
The surname Wolfson was first found in Lancashire at Woolstone, a township, in the parish and union of Warrington, hundred of West Derby. Saint Walstan (or Walston) (died 1016) dedicated his life to farming and the care of farm animals and is accordingly the patron saint of farms, farmers, farmhands, ranchers and husbandrymen.
"[Bawburgh, or Babur in Norfolk] is distinguished as the birthplace of St. Walstan; he lived at Taverham, where he died in 1016, and his remains were removed hither, and enshrined in a chapel in the parish church. The resort of pilgrims to visit his shrine greatly enriched the vicar and officiating priests, who, in 1309, rebuilt the church; but the chapel in which the remains of the saint were deposited was demolished in the reign of Henry VIII." 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wolfson research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1465, 1535, 1553, 1561, 1570, 1573, 1579, 1594, 1670, 1705 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Wolfson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Wolfson have been found, including Woolston, Woolton, Wolston and others.
Notables of this surname at this time include: John Woolton (or Wolton) (1535?-1594), English Bishop of Exeter. He was born at Whalley in Lancashire about 1535 (according to Godwin he was born at Wigan), was the son of John Woolton of Wigan, by his wife Isabella, daughter of John Nowell of Bead Hall, Whalley. "He was admitted student of Brasenose College, Oxford, on...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wolfson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Wolfson is the 8,091st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Wolfson, or a variant listed above: John Woolston settled in New Castle, Delaware in 1677; and moved in the same year to New Jersey; William Woolton settled in Virginia in 1639.