Weems History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Early Origins of the Weems family

The surname Weems was first found in Fife, where they held a family seat from very ancient times as Lords of the Castle of Wemyss, so named from the Gaelic word Uamch (a cave) derived from the lands and cliffs in which caves abound on the seashore.

Early History of the Weems family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weems research. Another 188 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1251, 1286, 1484, 1579, 1596, 1605, 1608, 1609, 1610, 1617, 1625, 1636, 1649, 1657, 1659, 1669, 1672, 1678, 1679, 1682, 1705 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Weems History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weems Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wemyss, Weems, Wemys, Wemes and others.

Early Notables of the Weems family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

John Weemes (Weemse, Wemyss) (c.1579-1636), a minister at Church of Scotland, Hebrew scholar and exegete, educated at the University of St Andrews, appointed minister of Hutton, Berwickshire in 1608

Weems Ranking

In the United States, the name Weems is the 2,945^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Weems family to Ireland

Some of the Weems family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weems migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Weems Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Weems, who settled in Philadelphia in 1823
Christina Weems, aged 35, who immigrated to America in 1892

Weems Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Fitzhugh Weems, who arrived in America in 1907
Florence L. Weems, aged 44, who arrived in America in 1907
Earle Weems, aged 16, who arrived in America in 1909
Belle Weems, aged 35, who settled in America in 1910
J. D. Weems, aged 30, who arrived in America in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Weems (post 1700) +

Charlie Weems (b. 1913), American teenage hobo, one of the Scottsboro Boys, accused of rape aboard a train, convicted and finally receiving a full posthumous pardon on November 21, 2013
Wilfred Theodore "Ted" Weems (1901-1963), American bandleader and musician, recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Priscilla Weems (b. 1972), American actress and singer
Philip Van Horn Weems (1889-1979), United States Navy officer and inventor of navigational instruments, including the Weems Plotter and the Second Setting Watch, eponym of Mount Weems, Antarctica
Eric Weems (b. 1985), American NFL football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears
Sonny Weems (b. 1986), American NBA basketball player for the Toronto Raptors
Mason "Parson" Locke Weems (1759-1825), American book agent, best known for his publication The Life of Washington (1800), which included the story about Washington and the cherry tree
Katherine Lane Weems (1899-1989), American sculptor
John Crompton Weems (1778-1862), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland (1826–1829)
Deborah "Debbie" Weems (1951-1978), American actress best known for her roles on Captain Kangaroo
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Weems 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: Je pense
Motto Translation: I Think.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/