Weigh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Weigh is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Dorset where Roger de Waie was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1194. Later William Waye was recorded in 1236 and Richard de la Weye was found in Devon in 1249.

In Cambridgeshire, John ate Wey was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. The name literally means "dweller by the road (OE weg) or at a place called Atteweye, the name in 1306 of Way in Thorverton (Devon), or at Atway (Devon)." 1

The same source notes the family could have originated at Waye (Devon, Dorset.) 1

Early Origins of the Weigh family

The surname Weigh was first found in Dorset. The aforementioned Hundredorum Rolls also included Thomas de la Weye, Kent. 2

"The name is found in North Devon, temp. Henry VII.; and in that district the termination way is of frequent occurrence in the names of farms, homesteads, and the like, without any reference to, or connection with, roads. The mullets hauriant [(fish swimming)] in the arms of one family have been supposed to be allusive to the river Wey, co. Dorset, in which mullets are abundant. Ate-Wey is one of the forms in Hundredorum Rolls. It may be an old baptismal designation, as Wege or Weghe is found in Domesday Book as the name of a tenant anterior to the Survey." 3

Early History of the Weigh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weigh research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1407, 1430, 1442 and 1476 are included under the topic Early Weigh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weigh Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Weigh has been spelled many different ways, including Way, Waye, Wey, Whey, Weigh, Weghe and others.

Early Notables of the Weigh family

Notables of this surname at this time include: William Wey or Way (1407?-1476), an English traveller and author, born in Devonshire apparently in 1407, was educated at Oxford. In 1430, he became fellow of...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Weigh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Weigh family to Ireland

Some of the Weigh 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 Weigh family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Weighs to arrive in North America: George Way, who settled in Boston in 1633; Edward Way settled in Virginia in 1655; Elizabeth Way settled in Nantasket, Mass in 1630; Richard Way was a merchant of St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1779.

Historic Events for the Weigh family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Edward Weigh, English Waiter from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 4

Citations +

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)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/