Show ContentsWeyler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Weyler is Anglo-Saxon in origin. It was a name given to a wheelwright. In medieval times wheels were wooden and quite fragile and high maintenance. Thus there was a high demand for both wheels and skilled people to make and repair them. 1

"The name of Houelleur which means 'charron' [cartwright] in English, is as common, at least in the Cotentin, as that of Carron or Charron. I imagine that it was introduced into Normandy during the thirty-two years' occupation of this country by the English. " 2

Accordingly, the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Osmondus Huielor, Normandy 1198; William and Roger Huelier, 1180-95. 3

Early Origins of the Weyler family

The surname Weyler was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat from ancient times, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066, at Martin Hussingtree. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has only one listing for the family: Hugh le Welere, Cambridgeshire. 1 Kirby's Quest lists "William Wheler, Somerset, 1 Edward III. [during the first year's reign of King Edward III] " 4

Early History of the Weyler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weyler research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1591, 1601, 1603, 1604, 1608, 1615, 1620, 1642, 1647, 1648, 1650, 1656, 1664, 1683, 1686, 1691, 1694, 1723 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Weyler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weyler Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Weyler include Wheeler, Wheler, Wheller and others.

Early Notables of the Weyler family

Distinguished members of the family include John Wheeler (fl. 1601-1608), secretary of the Merchant Adventurers' Company, was probably born at Great Yarmouth. "He may be identical with the John Wheeler who in 1615 was admitted to the East India Company. " 5 Thomas Wheeler (c.1620-1686), was an English-born, American settler in 1642 and colonial soldier of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Maurice Wheeler (1648?-1727), was an English divine and almanac-maker, born in 1647 or 1648...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Weyler Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Weyler family to Ireland

Some of the Weyler family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Weyler migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Weyler were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Weyler Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Frederich Weyler, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1774 6
Weyler Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Magdalena Weyler, aged 32, who arrived in America in 1868 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Weyler (post 1700) +

  • Rex Weyler (1947-1979), American author, journalist and ecologist, cofounder of Greenpeace International in 1979
  • Javier Andrés Weyler (b. 1975), Argentine drummer, best known as a former member of Stereophonics


The Weyler 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: Avito jure
Motto Translation: By ancestral right.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  4. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. 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)


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