Show ContentsWashingtum History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Washingtum came to England with the ancestors of the Washingtum family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Washingtum family lived in Lancashire, at Washington. The name of this village derives from the Old English word wassingatun, meaning a settlement of the people of Wassa, a personal name which combines Old English elements meaning hunt and victory.

Early Origins of the Washingtum family

The surname Washingtum was first found in Durham at Washington, a parish, in the union of Chesterle-Street, E. division of Chester ward. It is said that from this parish rose the stock that George Washington, the American patriot claims descent. 1 2 There is another parish named Washington in Sussex.

Early History of the Washingtum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Washingtum research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1451, 1602, 1631, 1653, 1659, 1677, 1694, 1698 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Washingtum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Washingtum Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Washingtum are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Washingtum include Washington, Washingtone and others.

Early Notables of the Washingtum family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Wessington (d. 1451), Prior of Durham, "was possibly born at, and took his name from, a village in the county of Durham, now known as Washington. " 3 Reverend Lawrence Washington (1602-1653), was an English rector, and the great-great-grandfather of George Washington. John Washington (c. 1631-1677), an English Virginia planter and politician from...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Washingtum Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Washingtum family to Ireland

Some of the Washingtum family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Washingtum family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Washingtum, or a variant listed above: Richard Washington settled in Virginia in 1639; John and Lawrence Washington settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1657; Thomas Washington settled in Barbados in 1670.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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