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![Show Contents]() Wolter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Wolter reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is based on the Germanic personal name Walter. The name is composed of the elements wald, meaning rule and heri, meaning army. 1 2 As far as the Watters variant is concerned, "upon the adoption of surnames by the common people, a person who resided near such a place would be called William or John Atte-Water, still retained in Attwater; but on the omission of the preposition in the XV. century, the name was pluralized to Waters. " 3 "Water was the normal medieval pronunciation of Walter." 4 Early Origins of the Wolter familyThe surname Wolter was first found in Cambridgeshire where they held a family seat from early times as Lords of the manor or Crowhurst. Walter of Lorraine (d. 1079), was Bishop of Hereford, a native of Lotharingia or Lorraine, was chaplain of Edith or Eadgyth (d. 1075), the Confessor's queen, and as a reward of his industry was appointed to the bishopric of Hereford at Christmas 1060. 5 Walter of Palermo (fl. 1170), was Archbishop of Palermo, primate and chancellor of Sicily, and was sent to Sicily by Henry II of England as an instructor for young William II of Sicily. 5 Hubert Walter (c.1160-1205) was Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor. Weeton in Lancashire was an early home of the family. "This place, in Domesday Book called Widetun, was early in the family of Walter." 6 "The church [of Woolvercott in Lancashire], situated on the bank of the Isis, has a sepulchral chapel on the north side, containing a stately monument to the family of Walter, of whom David Walter was High Sheriff of the county, and commanded a regiment of horse under Charles I. in the parliamentary war." 6 About the same time, Greenalgh with Thistleton, again in Lancashire was home to another branch of the family. It was here that the manor of Greenalgh-cum-Thistleton was held in the reign of Charles I. 6 As mentioned above, the surnames Walter and Watter were interchangeable so accordingly early rolls had a mixture of phonetic entries, both as a forename and surname. The first record for the family was found in 1066 where the ancient Latin form of the name was listed, Walterusepiscopus. This entry was made at the time of the Conquest. Twenty years later, Robertus filius Walterii, Galterii was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. Later Galterus le Lingedraper was listed at Oseney, Oxfordshire in 1210 and Petrus Walterus was listed at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1182. The Pipe Rolls for 1191 in Suffolk included an entry for Petrus Walteri and Geoffrey Walter was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 4 Waterus de Cantelupo was listed in Lincolnshire c. 1135; Walterus, Walterus filius Herberti was similarly listed in Lincolnshire; John Watter was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Warwickshire in 1214; Richard Wauter and Roger Watter were found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275; Hugh Water was found in the Assize Rolls for Northumberland in 1279; Alice Waters in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327; and John Wauters in Warwickshire in 1348. 4 Early History of the Wolter familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wolter research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1412, 1566, 1604, 1611, 1628, 1629, 1630, 1675, 1678, 1847 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wolter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wolter Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Wolter has been recorded under many different variations, including Walter, Walters, Watter, Watters, Walthew, Wattis and others. Early Notables of the Wolter familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was John Walter or FitzWalter (d. 1412?), an early astrologer, educated at Winchester and Oxford. He died at Winchester, and was buried there about 1412. 5
Sir John Walter (1566-1630), was an English judge, second son of Edmund Walter of Ludlow, Shropshire. 5
Henry...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wolter Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wolter RankingIn the United States, the name Wolter is the 8,683rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7  Migration of the Wolter family to Ireland
Some of the Wolter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Wolter migration to the United States | + |
To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Wolters were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:
Wolter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Adam Wolter, who settled in America in 1709
- Adam Wolter, who landed in New York in 1709 8
- John Wolter, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1786 8
Wolter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Maria Elisabeth Wolter, aged 39, who arrived in America in 1843 8
- Angela Wolter, who settled in America in 1844
- Friderike Wolter, who arrived in America in 1844 8
- Elis Wolter, who arrived in America in 1845 8
- Nicolaus Wolter, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1849 8
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Wolter migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Wolter Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- August Wolter, aged 24, who arrived in Quebec in 1868
| Contemporary Notables of the name Wolter (post 1700) | + |
- Adolph Gustav Wolter van R Wolter (1903-1980), German-born American sculptor, educator, and carver
- Sherilyn Marjorie Wolter (b. 1951), American actress, best known for her starring role on B. J. and the Bear in 1981
- Harry Meiggs Wolter (1884-1970), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1907 through 1917
- Ralf Wolter (1926-2022), German stage and screen actor who appeared in nearly 220 films and television series in his over 60 years as a character actor
- Karl Wolter (1894-1959), German international footballer
- Charlotte Wolter (1834-1897), Austrian actress from Cologne
- Birthe Wolter (b. 1981), German actress
- Maurus Wolter (1825-1890), first abbot and co-founder of the Benedictine Beuron Archabbey, Germany
- Horst Wolter (b. 1942), German international football player who played 1963 through 1977, member of the National Team (1967-1970)
- Michel Wolter (b. 1962), Luxembourg politician, President of the FLT (1987–1994)
- ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Historic Events for the Wolter family | + |
Bismarck - Willi Wolter (1913-1941), German Matrose I who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 9
- Mrs. Agnes Wolter (1884-1914), née Liston English Second Class Passenger from London, England, United Kingdom who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 10
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- 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)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
- Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
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Wolter migration to the United States 
Wolter migration to Canada 
Netherlands
England
Ireland
