The Wither surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient
Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from the Old Norse
personal name Vidarr, which means,
wide messenger. Wither is a
patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of
hereditary surnames. Many patronyms were formed when a son used his father's personal name as a surname, while others came from the personal names of famous religious and secular figures. In this case, the surname was originally derived from the given name of an ancestor of the bearer. The name could also have been derived from the Anglo Saxon Wihthere, meaning "a courageous warrior."
Early Origins of the Wither family
The surname Wither was first found in
Norfolk and
Lincolnshire where the first record of the name "occurs in the
Domesday Book as a
tenant prior to that census. "
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) Wyther cognomento Turnel was listed in
Norfolk (1134-1140) as was Richerus
filius Wither (1153-1168.) William Wither was listed in
Lincolnshire c. 1160 and Geoffrey Wider was listed in the
Pipe Rolls of
Gloucestershire in 1192.
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) The
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 includes: Agnes Wyther in Cambridgeshire; Richard Wyther in Oxfordshire; Simon Wyther in Huntingdonshire; and Walter Wythor in
Cambridgeshire.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Wither family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wither research.
Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1667, 1657, 1720, 1707, 1708, 1708, 1675, 1661, 1664, 1664, 1669, 1669 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Wither History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wither Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few
hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early
Anglo-Saxon surnames like Wither are characterized by many
spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Wither include: Withers, Wither and others.
Early Notables of the Wither family (pre 1700)
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wither Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wither family to Ireland
Some of the Wither family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 173 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wither family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Wither or a variant listed above:
Wither Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Symon Wither, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Richard Wither, who landed in Virginia in 1623 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Jane Wither, who landed in Maryland in 1679 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Ralph Wither, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682-1683 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Wither Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Christopher Wither, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Wither Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- W A Wither, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Wither Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Charles Bigg Wither, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1840
- John Wither, aged 33, a bricklayer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
- Mary Wither, aged 31, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
- Mary Wither, aged 7, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
- James Wither, aged 5, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Wither (post 1700)
- George Wither (1588-1667), English poet, pamphleteer, and satirist