Wellerman is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in
England with the
Norman Conquest of 1066. Wellerman is a name that comes from the baptismal name Gilmyn. Gillman indicated that the bearer was the son of (or descended from) someone named Gilmyn. The name is of Norman origin, and was brought to
England in the wake of the conquest after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Early Origins of the Wellerman family
The surname Wellerman was first found in
Norfolk where they held a
family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of
Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Wellerman family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wellerman research.
Another 143 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wellerman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wellerman Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. When the
Normans became the ruling people of
England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Gillman, Gilman and others.
Early Notables of the Wellerman family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Wellerman Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wellerman family to Ireland
Some of the Wellerman family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wellerman family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in
England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Wellerman or a variant listed above were: Edward Gillman of
Norfolk who settled in Hingham in 1638 with his wife, three servants, three sons and two daughters; Thomas Gillman, who came to Virginia in 1680.