Wulldrige is a name that dates far back into the mists of early British history to the days of the
Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is derived from Wulfric, a Germanic
personal name that became common in
England after the
Norman Conquest. After King William the Conqueror defeated the Saxon nobility at the Battle of Hastings, he encouraged the immigration of skilled tradesmen and administrators from the continent into
England. Many of these came from the area where
Germany would later become a nation. This resulted in the importation of a large number of new personal names and surnames. The personal name Wulfric means "wolf-powerful." This name appears in the
Domesday Book as Wlfric and Vlfric. This name is a vernacular name, arising from the vernacular tradition of naming. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the
local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of
Charlemagne (742-814) was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were widespread throughout
Normandy. Accordingly, many typical English and French names are in fact, originally of Germanic origin and often have cognates in other European countries.
Early Origins of the Wulldrige family
The surname Wulldrige was first found in
Staffordshire, where the Wulldrige family held a seat from ancient times. The family was Lords of the manor of Leek, Aldithley, and Balterley in Staffordshire, and of Croxton and Etchells in the county of
Cheshire, before and after the
Norman Conquest in 1066.
Early History of the Wulldrige family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wulldrige research.
Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1633 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Wulldrige History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wulldrige 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 Wulldrige 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 Wulldrige include: Woolrich, Woolridge, Wolrich, Woolrych, Wolridge, Wooldridge and many more.
Early Notables of the Wulldrige family (pre 1700)
Another 20 words (1 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wulldrige Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Wulldrige 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 Wulldrige or a variant listed above: John and Sarah Woolrich, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630; Joanne Woolrich, who arrived in Virginia in 1635; as did Timothy Woolrich in 1650.