Wheedon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Wheedon

What does the name Wheedon mean?

The name Wheedon was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Wheedon family lived in Buckinghamshire, on Whielden Lane, Amersham. Today Weedon is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district to the north of Aylesbury and south of Hardwick in Buckinghamshire.

Early Origins of the Wheedon family

The surname Wheedon was first found in Northamptonshire where they held a family seat at two villages called Weedon Beck and Weedon Lois. They held these lands from the Count of Mortain, and were conjecturally descended from Hugh of Grand Mesnil in Normandy. The poet, Dame Edith Sitwell, is buried in the village.

Early rolls give a glimpse of the many spellings in use at the time. Robert de Wedonia was listed in Northamptonshire c. 1160. In Berkshire Ralph de Wedon was listed there in 1207 and the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire included an entry for William Wedon 1396-1397. 1

The root name was found in the Hundredorum Rolls for Dorset in 1273 as William Wede. William le Weed was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 1

Another source notes the Hundredorum Rolls include: John de Wedon, Buckinghamshire; and Ralph de Wedone, Bedfordshire. 2 The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. includes an entry for Nicholas de Wedon, Nottinghamshire, Henry III-Edward I. 3

Early History of the Wheedon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wheedon research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1582, 1606, 1608, 1611, 1612, 1734, 1777 and 1793 are included under the topic Early Wheedon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wheedon Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Wheedon has been recorded under many different variations, including Weedon, Weeden, Weeton, Weton, Wedon and others.

Early Notables of the Wheedon family

George Weedon (1734-1793), American soldier during the Revolutionary War from Fredericksburg, Colony of Virginia. He served as a lieutenant under George Washington in the French and Indian War...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wheedon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wheedon migration to Australia +

Wheedon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edward Wheedon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Britannia" in 1846 4
Elizabeth Wheedon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Britannia" in 1846 4
Henry Wheedon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Britannia" in 1846 4
William Wheedon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Britannia" in 1846 4

The Wheedon 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: Credo
Motto Translation: I Believe.

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)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BRITANNIA 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846Britannia.htm