Wakelee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Wakelee reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Wakelee family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wakelee family lived in Hertfordshire, at the manor of Wakely.

Early Origins of the Wakelee family

The surname Wakelee was first found in Hertfordshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, conjecturally the family were descended from Ralph of Wakely, a Norman noble, who held his lands from Count Allan and was thus reflected in the Domesday Book Survey of 1086 A.D.

Early History of the Wakelee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wakelee research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1600 is included under the topic Early Wakelee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wakelee Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Wakelee include Wakley, Wakeley, Wakely, Wakelie, Wakelee, Weakley, Wakerley and many more.

Early Notables of the Wakelee family

More information is included under the topic Early Wakelee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wakelee family to Ireland

Some of the Wakelee family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wakelee migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Wakelees to arrive on North American shores:

Wakelee Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

H. P. Wakelee arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Wakelee (post 1700) +

William H. Wakelee, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Southbury; Elected 1902 1
Rose E. Wakelee, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Wolcott; Elected 1946 1
Robert A. Wakelee, American Republican politician, First Selectman of Wolcott, Connecticut, 1922-27, 1947-57; Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Wolcott; Elected 1930 1
Ephraim N. Wakelee, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Stratford, 1908 1
Edmund Waring Wakelee (b. 1869), American Republican politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Bergen County, 1899-1900; Member of New Jersey State Senate from Bergen County, 1901-10 1