Show ContentsWillis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Willis Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Early Origins of the Willis family

The surname Willis was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland. The earliest Scottish bearers of this name are likely descended from Will the Crowner Gunn. Although the name has also long existed in England where they are believed to be descended from Baron Welles, the Duke of Somerset, a Norman Baron from Welles in Normandy who was granted Rockingham Castle.

Early History of the Willis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willis research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1435, 1577, 1581, 1625 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Willis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willis Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Willis, Wilis and others.

Early Notables of the Willis family

  • Will the Crowner Gunn, scion of the family Sir William Willis

Willis World Ranking

the United States, the name Willis is the 172nd most popular surname with an estimated 136,785 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Willis is ranked the 869th most popular surname with an estimated 6,125 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Willis is the 266th popular surname with an estimated 12,818 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Willis as 286th with 2,126 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Willis as 236th with 24,919 people. 5

Migration of the Willis family to Ireland

Some of the Willis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willis migration to the United States +



Willis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Ann Willis, who landed in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "Falcon" 7
  • Richard Willis, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Furtherance", he died shortly after 8
  • Nathaniel Willis, who settled in Boston in 1630
  • Richard Willis, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1630 7
  • Nicholas Willis, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Willis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jacob Willis, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1702 7
  • Matthew Willis, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 7
  • Ellioner Willis, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 7
  • Pheebe Willis, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 7
Willis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mary Ann Willis, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 7
  • Margaret Willis, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 7
  • James Willis, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 7
  • Eleanor Willis, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 7
  • Ellen Willis, aged 18, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1820-1873 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willis migration to Canada +

Willis Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • William Willis, who settled in Quidividi, Newfoundland, in 1703 9
  • John Willis, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Penolope Willis, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Josiah Willis, who settled in Kiers Cove, Labrador, in 1766
Willis Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Isaac Willis, who arrived in Canada in 1834
  • Miss. Mary A. Willis, aged 17 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Jessie" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 10
  • Miss. Martha Willis, aged 10 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Jessie" departing 18th April 1847 from Limerick, Ireland; the ship arrived on 26th June 1847 but she died on board 11
  • Mr. William Willis, aged 27 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "John Bolton" departing 13th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board 11

Willis migration to Australia +

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

First Fleet
  • Mr. William Willis, (b. 1755), aged 34, British settler convicted in London, 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 6
  • Miss Sarah Willis, British settler convicted at Yorkshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 7
Second Fleet
  • Miss Ann Willis, (1764 - 1839), aged 26, British settler convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing spoons, transported aboard the ship "Mary Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 7
Following the First and Second Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Willis Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Willis Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Willis, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. Henry Willis, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • George Willis, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Thomas Willis, English convict from Southampton, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 16
  • Mr. William Willis, British convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willis migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Willis Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Richard Willis, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
  • G. Willis, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of the Deep" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th June 1854 18
  • Mr. Elias Willis, (b. 1796), aged 60, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 19
  • Mrs. Frances Willis, (b. 1798), aged 58, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 19
  • Mr. William Willis, (b. 1838), aged 18, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 19
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Willis migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 20
Willis Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. William Willis, (b. 1618), aged 17, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 21
  • Mr. John Willis, (b. 1606), aged 29, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Paul of London" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 22

Contemporary Notables of the name Willis (post 1700) +

  • Bruce Willis (b. 1955), born Walter Bruce Willis, American two-time Emmy Award-winning, Golden Globe Award-winning and four-time Saturn Award-nominated actor and film producer perhaps best known for his "Die Hard" series of movies
  • Victor Gazaway Willis (1876-1947), American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher nicknamed "The Delaware Peach"
  • Thornton Willis (1936-2025), American abstract painter, one of the Third Generation of American Abstract Expressionists
  • Clarence "Chet" Willis (1951-2025), American guitarist for Ohio Players (1977-1980)
  • Beverly Willis FAIA (1928-2023), American architect, her best-known built-work is the San Francisco Ballet Building
  • Frederick F. "Fed" Willis III (1947-2023), American professional football player who was a running back for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Oilers
  • Robert "Chick" Willis (1934-2013), American blues singer and guitarist
  • Pharmacist's Mate First Class John Harlan Willis (1921-1945), American Navy sailor awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1945
  • Harold "Chuck" Willis (1928-1958), American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock singer and songwriter
  • ... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Empress of Ireland

The Willis 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: As God Wills

Suggested Readings for the name Willis +

  • The Family History of Nathaniel Purdue Willis of Eason, Oklahoma Territory by Kathryn S. Carter.
  • Some Willis Families of New England by Aurie Willis Morrison.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  7. 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)
  8. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  9. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  10. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 60)
  11. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 99)
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  15. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
  16. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  20. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  21. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  22. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  23. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  24. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp

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