Show ContentsWands History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Wands family

The surname Wands was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century at Great Yarmouth and Stoughton.

Early History of the Wands family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wands research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1568 and 1603 are included under the topic Early Wands History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wands Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Wands include Wantron, Wonton, Wanton, Wantown, Wantoon, Wantune, Wandon, Wand, Want and many more.

Early Notables of the Wands family

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


United States Wands migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wands or a variant listed above:

Wands Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Nellie Wands, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "State of Nebraska" from Glasgow via Moville 1
Wands Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Andrew Wands, aged 49, who arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Caledonia" from Glasgow, Scotland 1
  • Mary Ann Wands, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "Caronia" from Liverpool, England 1
  • Thomas H. Wands, aged 38, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Monmouth" from Manchester, U.K. 1
  • Phillip Joseph Wands, aged 35, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 1
  • Mary Elizabeth Wands, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 1
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Wands (post 1700) +

  • Edward H. Wands, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1912 2


  1. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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