Wader History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Wader date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in Shropshire. The name Wader indicates that the original bearer of the name lived close to a prominent body of water such as a lake or river.

"Water was the normal medieval pronunciation of Walter. Theobald Walter is also called Theobaldus filius Walteri, Theobaldus Walteri and Tebaut Water in the Feet of Fines for Lancashire 1212-1236." 1

Another reputable source has another theory about the origin of the name. "In some dialects, the word water is applied to lakes and rivers, as Ullswater, Derwent-water, Black-water. Upon the adoption of surnames by the common people, a person who resided near such a place would be called William or John Atte-Water, still retained in Attwater; but on the omission of the preposition in the XV. century, the name was pluralized to Waters. The latinizations are De Aqua and Ad Aquam." 2

And another source claims it was "a name given to one who navigated the waters, or resided near them." 3

Ralph Wader of Guader, Earl of Norfolk (fl. 1070), was "son of Ralph the Staller (d. 1066). This Ralph is frequently referred to in Domesday Book as having held various estates, and is twice mentioned as 'Radulfus comes vetus' (ii. 128b, 129), and on one other occasion as 'Radulfus Stalra' and father of Ralph Guader." 4

Early Origins of the Wader family

The surname Wader was first found in Shropshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, in Ludlow, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Waterus de Cantelupo was listed in Lincolnshire in c. 1135; and later John Watter was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Warwickshire in 1214. Richard Wauter and Roger Water were found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275 and a few years later, Hugh Water was listed in the Assize Rolls for Northumberland in 1279. Alice Waters was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327 and John Wauters was listed in Warwickshire in 1348. 1

Early History of the Wader family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wader research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1610, 1731, 1754, 1774, 1777, 1797, 1816, 1840, 1841, 1842 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wader History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wader Spelling Variations

Wader has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Wader have been found, including Waters, Water and others.

Early Notables of the Wader family

Notables of the family at this time include John Waters FitzGeorge of Newcastle, whose grandson became Count Waters, Baron and Seigneur of Mainsfort in the province of Bery in France.Sir John Waters (1774-1842), Welsh lieutenant-general, was born in 1774 at Tyfry, near Welsh St. Donats, Glamorganshire. His grandfather, Edward Waters of Pittcott, was High Sheriff of Glamorganshire in 1754. His father, whose name is not ascertained, died young, leaving a large family. The Marquis of Bute obtained a commission for the son in the 1st (Royal Scots) foot on 2 Aug. 1797. He was given the colonelcy of the 81st foot...
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wader Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wader family to Ireland

Some of the Wader family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wader migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Waders to arrive on North American shores:

Wader Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Wader, who landed in Virginia in 1635 5

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)