| Wilson Family Name |
|
|---|---|
| Meaning | "son of Wil" |
| Region of Origin | Scotland,England |
| Related names | Willson, Williamson, Williams |
| Wikipedia articles | All pages beginning with "Wilson " |
Wilson is a common surname of English, Scottish, and Irish origin. It literally means "son of Wil" (William, an Old German name). In Ireland it is often Gaelicised as "McLiam"...which translated means "Son of William". It is the eighth most common surname in both England and the United States[1] It's the third most common surname in Scotland, and the 17th most common name in Ireland. Wilson is also now quite common as a surname in many other countries with a large English-speaking population such as Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.
History
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009) |
The family name WILSON emerged as a Scottish Clan or family in Berwickshire in south east Scotland. They were descended from Will Gunn, who, in a minor conflict with the clan chief in Orkney or Caithness, moved the family to the southeast coast of Scotland. By virtue of the family's relationship to Will Gunn, the name is of Viking origin descending from the Earls (or jarls) of Orkney, who settled in Scotland about 895 A.D.[2] The Earls of Orkney were originally from Norway, of the royal Norwegian Vikings who after being banished from Norway, settled in northern Scotland.[3] However the family intermarried in Berwickshire with the local population who were generally of Anglo-Danish origin and the majority of Wilson DNA today is of that stock.
John Wulson was a merchant in the service of Sir John of Montgomery in 1405. Michael Wilsoun was Burgess of Irvin in 1418, and John Wilson was Burgess of Berwick in 1467. Thomas Wolsoun was tenant of Neubotel Abbey in 1563. Many Wilsons moved south into England and Ireland when the border clans were disbanded by James VII in 1603.
It also had some popularity as a first name in England beginning in the 1000s and 1100s, after William the Conqueror took the throne. As a first name Wilson is found primarily in the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa.
See also
References
- ^ United States Census Bureau (9 May 1995). s:1990 Census Name Files dist.all.last (1-100). Retrieved on 2008-07-04.
- ^ http://www.rampantscotland.com/clans/blclangunn.htm
- ^ Anon., Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, tr. Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards. Penguin, London, 1978. ISBN 0-14-044383-5
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