Show ContentsWilmington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • England
Wilmington Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Wilmington

What does the name Wilmington mean?

The name Wilmington originates in one of the many villages named Wilmington in England found in Devon, Kent, Somerset, Shropshire and Sussex. Monay of the place names date back to at least the Domesday Book of 1086 1 where they were recorded as Wilemitone (Devon), Wilminte (Sussex) and Wilmintuna (Kent.) Collectively the plave names mean "estate associated with a man called Wilhelm or Wighelm." 2

The Sussex parish was originally "a Benedictine priory, a cell to the abbey of Grestein, in Normandy, was founded here in the time of William Rufus. It was valued at 240 marks per annum, and was sold by licence of Henry IV. to the Dean and Chapter of Chichester, to whom it was confirmed by Henry V., towards founding a chantry of two priests in the cathedral. " 3

Early Origins of the Wilmington family

The surname Wilmington was first found in Dorset, England where John de Wilminton was recorded as holding lands in the Pipe Rolls of 1200. 4

The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. includes: Stephen de Wilminton, Kent; and Stephen de Wilminton, Kent; and Robert de Wilminton, Kent. (Testa Nevill)

Early History of the Wilmington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilmington research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Wilmington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilmington Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wilmington, Willmington, Wilminton, Willminton, Wylmington, Wilmyngton, Wylmyngton and many more.

Early Notables of the Wilmington family

  • the Wilmington family of Dorset

Migration of the Wilmington family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
HMS Royal Oak
  • Frederick Hubert Wilmington (1910-1939), British Stoker 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 5
  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html

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