Wilsonn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Wilsonn surname in England is a patronymic, created from the Medieval personal name Will. Thus Wilsonn means "son of Will."

Early Origins of the Wilsonn family

The surname Wilsonn was first found in Northern England, where the first on record appears to be Robert Willeson, listed in the Court Rolls of the manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1324. Other early records include a Robert Wilson in 1341 in documents from the Cistercian Abbey of Kirkstall, Yorkshire; and John Willison in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire of 1366. 1

Johannes Willeson, Adam Wyllson and Thomas Wyllson were listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2 There was a place named Wilson in Devon that has existed since at least the time of the Domesday Book. 3

High Melton is of great significance to the family. "This parish, called in Domesday Book Middeltun, is situated on the northern acclivity of the vale of the Dearne, and comprises 1500 acres, of which 1000 are arable and pasture, and the remainder wood and plantations. The lands are chiefly the property of Richard Fountayne Wilson, Esq., whose seat of Melton Hall has extensive pleasure-grounds, tastefully laid out." 4 Langham Hall in Suffolk "is chiefly the property of the family of Wilson." 4

The name is "distributed over the whole of England, except in the region south of a line joining the mouths of the Thames and the Severn, where it is absent or rare. It is most crowded in the northern half of the country, being there numerous in all the counties, especially in the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire, the Wilsons, of Broomhead, in the West Biding, resided there from the 13th to the 18th century 5, and in Cumberland and Westmorland; but it has two centres in the southern half of the country, in Worcestershire and Cambridgeshire. It extends in force across the Scottish border, and is very numerous in the region south of the Forth and the Clyde." 6

Early History of the Wilsonn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilsonn research. The years 1508, 1509, 1525, 1533, 1548, 1563, 1572, 1574, 1579, 1581, 1583, 1586, 1591, 1595, 1600, 1601, 1602, 1607, 1613, 1622, 1626, 1627, 1630, 1631, 1635, 1641, 1650, 1652, 1654, 1655, 1663, 1667, 1674, 1689, 1693, 1694, 1696, 1699, 1702, 1708, 1710, 1755, 1772 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wilsonn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilsonn Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wilson, Willson, Willison, Willston and others.

Early Notables of the Wilsonn family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Mr. Doctor Wilson, listed in the House of Commons Journal in 1572; John Wilson (1595-1674), an English composer, lutenist and teacher from Faversham, Kent. John Wilson (c.1591-1667), was an English Puritan clergyman who sailed aboard the Winthrop Fleet arriving in 1630 and became minister of the First Church of Boston from 1630 until his death in 1667. John Wilson (1626-1696), was an English playwright and lawyer; and Sir William Wilson (1641-1710), an English architect, builder and sculptor from Leicester. Arthur Wilson (1595-1652), was a historian and dramatist, baptised 14 Dec. 1595, was the son of...
Another 307 words (22 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wilsonn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wilsonn family to Ireland

Some of the Wilsonn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilsonn migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wilsonn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Wilsonn, who arrived in Virginia in 1633 7
Mary Wilsonn, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 7
John Wilsonn, who landed in Virginia in 1635 7
Elizabeth Wilsonn, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 7
Gabriell Wilsonn, who landed in Virginia in 1636 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)