Willians History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Willians

What does the name Willians mean?

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of William,' from nickname Will, diminutive Will-in. 1 2

Early Origins of the Willians family

The surname Willians was first found in Yorkshire, where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Cecilia Wylyn; Ricardus Wylyn; and Johannes Willion as all holding klands there at that time. 1

"The Willings are represented in the Kingsbridge district [of Devon.] Willing was a Buckinghamshire name in the reign of Edward I. " 3

Further to the north in Scotland, the earliest record of this name was of Thomas and William Whillans who held lands in the Lordship of Liddesdale about 1490. The name is believed to be derived from the old lands of Quheillands in the lordships of Liddisdaill. Thomas and William Querland were mentioned in 1505 and just one year later, they are referred to as Thomas and William Querlance.

Early History of the Willians family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willians research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1490, 1578, 1579, 1622, 1704 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Willians History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willians Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Whillans, Whillens, Wheelans, Willan, Willans and others.

Early Notables of the Willians family

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

Willians migration to the United States +

Willians Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Willians, aged 21, who landed in St Louis, Missouri in 1848 5

Willians migration to Australia +

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

First Fleet

Mr. Edward Williams, (1753 - 1790), aged 36, British settler convicted at Reading, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 4

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
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)