Woller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Woller comes from when its first bearer worked as a mason. 1 Hence, Woller is an occupational surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Occupational surnames were derived from the primary activity of the bearer. In the Middle Ages, people did not generally live off of the fruits of their labor in a particular job. Rather, they performed a specialized task, as well as farming, for subsistence. Other occupational names were derived from an object associated with a particular activity. The surname was given to people who worked as stone masons. This surname was established in England, in the county of Nottingham, prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Early Origins of the Woller family

The surname Woller was first found in Nottinghamshire where John le Walmur was one of the first listings of the name. 2 While this is one of the first records, the name could have originated in Kent as noted "from Walers or Valers, of the Eastern Counties, probably descended from the Kentish family of Waller, who bore three leaves on a bend voided." 3

Continuing this investigation revealed William Waliere was listed as a Knight's Templar in Kent in 1185. 2 William le Waller was bailiff in Norwich in 1232.

From this point the name spread rapidly as seen by listings in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Robert le Waller in Norfolk; and Peter le Walur in Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Thomas Dyekok, waller, and Willelmus Goderd, waller. 4

Early History of the Woller family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woller research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1597, 1604, 1606, 1624, 1639, 1666, 1668, 1678, 1679, 1680, 1682, 1687, 1699 and 1791 are included under the topic Early Woller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woller Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Woller include Waller, Wallere and others.

Early Notables of the Woller family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Edmund Waller, FRS (1606-1687), an English poet and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1679; Sir Hardress Waller (c. 1604-1666), an English parliamentarian condemned to death for regicide, but was never executed; Sir William Waller (c. 1597-1668), the famous English Parliamentary...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woller Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Woller family to Ireland

Some of the Woller family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woller migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Woller or a variant listed above:

Woller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philip Woller, who landed in New York in 1709 5

Woller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charlotte Friderike Woller, aged 39, who arrived in America in 1843 5
Rochus Woller, aged 16, who arrived in New York, NY in 1885 5
Thomas Woller, aged 20, who landed in New York, NY in 1885 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Woller (post 1700) +

Frank E. Woller (1859-1941), American politician, Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly (1888)
Albert F. Woller (b. 1886), American machinist, auto mechanic and Socialist politician from Milwaukee who served three terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly (1923–1924) and (1927–1930)
Albert Woller (b. 1861), American insurance agent, real estate agent and Republican politician from Milwaukee who served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1895 to 1898
Kirk B R Woller, American actor, best known for his role as Agent Gene Crane on The X-Files
Gergõ Wöller (b. 1983), Hungarian three-time bronze medalist freestyle wrestler who competed in the men's lightweight category at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and later at the European Wrestling Championships
Fie Woller (b. 1992), Danish two-time gold medalist handball player for Bourg-de-Péage Drôme Handball and the Danish national team
Cecilie Woller (b. 1992), Danish gold medalist handball player who currently plays for SV Union Halle-Neustadt
Kerstin Wöller (b. 1967), German bodybuilding champion
Steffen Wöller (b. 1972), German five-time gold, eight-time silver medalist luger who competed from 1991 to 2004
Klaus Wöller (b. 1956), West German silver medalist handball player at the 1984 Summer Olympics

The Woller 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: Hic fructus virtutis
Motto Translation: This is the fruit of valour.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-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)
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)