Show ContentsWignall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Wignall is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wignall family lived in Norfolk, at Wiggenhall.

Early Origins of the Wignall family

The surname Wignall was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from about 1066, where they were conjecturally descended from Ralph Baynard, a Norman noble, who held the lands of Wiggenhall in Norfolk.

Early History of the Wignall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wignall research. Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wignall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wignall 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. Wignall has been recorded under many different variations, including Wignall, Wignoll, Wignull, Wiggenhall and others.

Early Notables of the Wignall family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Wignall of Wiltshire


Wignall migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Wignalls were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Wignall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Alex Wignall, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1629
  • Alex Wignall, who settled in Virginia in 1647
  • Thomas Wignall, who arrived in Virginia in 1647 1
  • William Wignall, who landed in Virginia in 1650 1
  • Alex Wignall, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 1
Wignall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Eliza Wignall, who landed in Virginia in 1713 1
Wignall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Wignall, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1832
  • Charles Wignall, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1876

Wignall migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wignall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Robert Wignall, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 2
  • Mr. William Wignall, English convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
  • Mr. William Wignall, British Convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 26th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • Mr. Samuel Wignall, English convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Clara" on 28th January 1864, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Wignall (post 1700) +

  • Harry James Wignall (1951-2017), birth name of Harrison Gradwell Slater, an American writer, pianist, and educator
  • Steve Wignall (b. 1954), English former professional football manager and player who as a player made 639 appearances in the Football League
  • Anne Wignall (1912-1982), known as Lady Ebury, née Acland-Troyte, an English socialite and author as Alice Acland and Anne Marreco
  • Frank Wignall (b. 1939), English former international footballer who played from 1958 to 1974 for a total of 323 matches
  • Ruth Wignall (b. 1975), married name of Ruth Dodsworth, a British television presenter, born in Worthing, West Sussex
  • Mr. John "Jack" Wignall, British Marine who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales and survived the sinking
  • Maurice Wignall (b. 1976), Jamaican hurdling athlete

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. John Wignall, "Jack" British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 6
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Lawrence Wignall, British Ordnance, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 7


  1. 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)
  2. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asiatic
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clara
  6. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  7. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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