Webber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Etymology of Webber

What does the name Webber mean?

The distinguished surname Webber emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. Occupational surnames were derived from the common trades of the medieval era. The surname Webber is an occupational name for a person who made his living as a weaver of cloth. The surname Webber is a derivative of the Old English word web, which means web or weaver.

Early Origins of the Webber family

The surname Webber was first found in Somerset where they were one of the many Flemish industrialist families who settled in the west country in the 13th century. John le Webber was listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1255; and later Hugo le Webbere was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327. 1 The Calendarium Inquisitionum Post Mortem listed: Robert le Webber; and Clarice le Webbere. 2

Early History of the Webber family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Webber research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1751 and 1793 are included under the topic Early Webber History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Webber Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Webber, Weber and others.

Early Notables of the Webber family

John Webber (1751-1793), English artist, best known for his art of early Alaska and Hawaii, official artist on Captain James Cook’s third voyage
John Webber of St. Kew in Cornwall
Captain Thomas Webber of the Fourth Horse Brigade in Ireland

Webber World Ranking

the United States, the name Webber is the 1,113^rd most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 3 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Webber is ranked the 738^th most popular surname with an estimated 58 people with that name. 4 And in Australia, the name Webber is the 585^th popular surname with an estimated 6,646 people with that name. 5 New Zealand ranks Webber as 415^th with 1,587 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks Webber as 554^th with 11,727 people. 7

Migration of the Webber family to Ireland

Some of the Webber 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.

Webber migration to the United States +

Early immigration records have shown some of the first Webbers to arrive on North American shores:

Webber Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Thomas Webber, (Webbe), who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia aboard the ship "Discovery" in 1607 9
Thomas Webber who settled in Maine in 1616
John Webber, who settled in Virginia in 1630
Rich Webber, who landed in Virginia in 1635 10
Thomas Webber, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1643 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Webber Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Wyart Webber, aged 8, who arrived in New York in 1711 10
Henry Webber, who landed in Virginia in 1712 10
Christian Webber, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "James Goodwill" 10
Daniel Webber, who landed in New England in 1731 10
Hans Geo Webber, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Webber Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. John Webber, (b. 1810), aged 22, Cornish labourer departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 11
George Webber, who arrived in New York in 1838 10
Elizabeth Webber, aged 8, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 10
Catherine Webber, aged 30, who arrived in New York, NY in 1855 10
Charles Webber, who landed in Mississippi in 1857 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Webber migration to Canada +

Webber Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jonas Webber, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Henry Webber of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, in 1782 12
Mr. William Webber U.E. who settled in Bell Vue, Beaver Harbor, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 13
Mr. John George Webber U.E., (Weaver) who settled in Canada c. 1784 13
Mr. John George Webber Sr., U.E., (Weaver) who settled in Canada c. 1784 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Webber Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Bartholomew Webber who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Frankfield" departing 29th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 9th August 1847 but he died on board 14

Webber migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Second Fleet

Mr. Simon Webber, British settler convicted in Somerset, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a horse, transported aboard the ship "Atlantic" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8

Following the Second Fleet, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Webber Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Elizabeth Webber, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" in March 1810, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. William Webber, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Thomas Webber, English convict from Devon, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr. Michael Webber, (b. 1779), aged 44, British soldier who was convicted in Barbados for life for desertion from the army, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 18
John Webber, English convict from Somerset, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Webber migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Webber Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Webber, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Lady Nugent
Mrs John Webber, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Lady Nugent
Edmund Webber, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1843
Mr. Joseph Webber, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 20
Miss Elizabeth Webber, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 20
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Webber migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 21

Webber Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Clement Webber, who settled in Jamaica in 1654

Contemporary Notables of the name Webber (post 1700) +

Steve Webber (1947-2022), American baseball player and coach who played college baseball at Southern Illinois University and played in the 1969 College World Series
Samuel Webber (1759-1810), American clergyman, mathematician, and academic
Herbert John Webber (1865-1946), American plant physiologist
Gordon Webber (1912-1986), American writer
George Washington Webber (1825-1900), American politician from Michigan
Marguerite Diane Webber (1932-2008), born Marguerite Empey, an American model, dancer and actress
Charles Wilkins Webber (1819-1856), United States journalist and explorer
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber III (b. 1973), nicknamed C-Webb, a retired American professional NBA basketball player
Nicholas Alastair Lloyd Webber (1979-2023), English composer and record producer, son of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and his first wife, Sarah Hugill
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Webber family +

Fraterville mine

Mr. John Webber (d. 1902), American coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 22
Mr. Rufus Webber (d. 1902), American coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 23
Francis Herbert Webber, British Warrant Officer Gunner aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 23
Mr. Thomas Albert Webber, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 24
Mr. M G Webber, British Sub Lieutenant (E) Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 25
... (Another 10 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Webber Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Liliae praelucent telis
Motto Translation: Lillies outshine weapons of war.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 98)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
News paper article Fraterville Mine Disaster retrieved on 6th August 2021. Retrieved from http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/disasters/fraterville.htm
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html