Wolson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The story of the Wolson family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The name Wolson was derived from the personal name William. The name literally was derived from the patronymic expression son of William or son of Wil. 1

"The family are said to be descended from a Prince of Denmark, and were established at a very remote period in the Orkney islands, intermarrying with the clans of Monro, and others. After a long continuance in the north, alliances taking place with some of the principal Lowland families, the Wilsons moved southward. " 2

Early Origins of the Wolson family

The surname Wolson 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, where John Wulson was a merchant in the service of Sir John of Montgomery in 1405. Michael Wilsoun was Burgess of Irvine in 1418, and John Wilson was Burgess of Berwick in 1467. 1

Early History of the Wolson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wolson research. Another 237 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1567, 1603, 1662, 1667, 1680, 1685, 1704, 1750 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wolson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wolson Spelling Variations

Standards used to judge the accuracy of spellings and translations did not yet exist in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations in names dating from that era, are thus, an extremely common occurrence. Wolson has been recorded as Wilson, Willson, Wilsone, Wulson, Wilsoun and others.

Early Notables of the Wolson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Margaret Wilson (died 1685), one of the Wigton martyrs, a young Scottish Covenanter from Wigtownshire executed by drowning for refusing to swear an oath declaring James VII; and John Willison (1680-1750), an evangelical minister of the Church of Scotland and a writer of Christian literature. Margaret Wilson (1667-1685), the 'martyr of the Solway,' and the eldest daughter of Gilbert Wilson (d. 1704), a yeoman of Penninghame, Wigtownshire, was born at Glenvernock in that parish in 1667. " Though her parents conformed to episcopacy, Margaret and her younger sister Agnes refused to do so. On...
Another 124 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wolson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wolson family to Ireland

Some of the Wolson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wolson migration to the United States +

The New World was far from the oppressive regime of the old country. It was a place where there was more land than people and political and religious freedom were far easier to come by. Many Scots even got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. In recent years, interest in this heritage has been generated by Clan societies and regular highland games in North America. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Wolson name:

Wolson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Wolson, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 3

The Wolson 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: Vincit qui se vincit
Motto Translation: He conquers, who conquers himself.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. 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)