Wheless History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Wheless

Wheless is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wheless family lived in Berwickshire, at Le Whele, near the Whele Causey (Wheel Causeway) a Roman road which passes through the county. Some occurrences of the name may be derived from the original bearer's residence in Wales.

Early Origins of the Wheless family

Early History of the Wheless family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wheless research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1684 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Wheless History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wheless Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Whale, Whele, Whaill and others.

Early Notables of the Wheless family

More information is included under the topic Early Wheless Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wheless Ranking

the United States, the name Wheless is the 17,928^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Wheless family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Wheless or a variant listed above: Wm. Whele, who came to Barbados in 1679; Captain Whale who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1712; Philemon Whale, who settled in Boston in 1630; and William Whale, who settled in Maryland in 1736..