Surname Westmorland - Meaning and Origin
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Westmorland: What does the surname Westmorland mean?
The last name Westmorland has its origins in the ancient county of Westmorland in England. It is a topographical surname, which means that it is derived from geographical features in the area.
The name Westmorland is believed to have been derived from the name of the lake in the district, Wærmundesmere, which translates to Lake of Warmund. Warmund or Wehrmund was the name of a Saxon living in the area in the 8th century AD. The Old Norse word 'mere' simply means lake.
Throughout time, the name has changed from Wærmundesmere to Westermorlesmere to Westmoredesmere and finally Westmorland.
Originally, the county was a division of Lancashire, but was created in 1182 and recognised as its own county in 1226. The county was abolished in 1974 following the Local Government Act of 1972, with its territory being divided among the counties of Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire.
The name Westmorland is still commonly used today in Cumbria to refer to the former county. Those with the Westmorland surname are likely associated with the historic county, and would have hailed from there many generations ago.
Order DNA origin analysisWestmorland: Where does the name Westmorland come from?
The last name Westmorland was fairly common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but has become less common in recent decades.
The last name Westmorland is associated primarily with North West England and is particularly common around the city of Carlisle, in Cumbria. Many families bearing the name still live in this area. It is also fairly common in Scotland, where clans bearing the name have a long history.
The name can still be found throughout Britain and the rest of Europe, although less so than it was in the past. The name has spread to other continents, particularly North America and Australia, where many immigrants of British origin bearing the name Westmorland settled in the 19th and 20th centuries.
It is less common today in Britain and Europe, due to a range of factors including increased mobility, changes in naming conventions and a more multicultural society. In Britain, for example, it is estimated that only about 0.002% of the population have the last name Westmorland, while in North America it is more common, with an estimated 0.009% of the total population.
Variations of the surname Westmorland
Westmorland is a locational surname of English origin, derived from a locality in northern England. It is an old Anglo-Saxon name, derived from the Old English "west" meaning "west" and "mor" meaning "marshland". The surname has several variants, and spellings such as Westmureland, Westmereland, Westmoreland, Westmeareland, and Westmartland.
The surname Westmorland can also be found under various spellings as a result of transcription errors when the name was encoded or recorded in documents. The most common of these include Westmorelond, Westmerelond, and Westmoorelond. In some cases, the surname has been transformed into other surnames, the most popular of these being Westmore, Westmeare, Westmart, and Westmark.
Other variants of the name, such as Westmarland and Westmarland, may also be found. Additionally, the surname may also be found with the obsolete prefix "at" in the spelling "at' Westmorland" or shortened to "Westmor"' and is sometimes found written as Westmorelande.
The surname Westmorland is shared by several notable individuals. British actor Charles Westmoreland was the son of a Shropshire family of the same name. Another notable person with the same surname is comedian Clive Westmoreland.
In conclusion, Westmorland is an old locational surname of English origin meaning "west marshland". It has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin, including Westmureland, Westmereland, Westmoreland, Westmeareland, Westmartland, Westmorelond, Westmerelond, Westmoorelond, Westmore, Westmeare, Westmart, Westmark, Westmarland, Westmarland, ”at” Westmorland, and Westmorelande.
Famous people with the name Westmorland
- The 8th Earl of Westmorland, Richard Neville (c. 1428: 1471), an English nobleman who led the Lancastrian faction in the Wars of the Roses in England
- John Fownes Luttrell (1672–1751), 4th Earl of Westmorland
- John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland (1759–1841), a British peer, courtier, soldier, and politician
- Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock (1821–1893), also known as Baron Westmorland
- Sir Thomas Fane, 11th Earl of Westmorland (1802–1859), a British soldier and Conservative politician
- Piers Francis Luttrell, 13th Earl of Westmorland (1836–1902), a British soldier, courtier and Conservative politician
- Sir Charles Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland (1795–1868), a British soldier and Conservative politician
- Richard Charles Fane, 14th Earl of Westmorland (1877–1945), a British peer and Conservative politician
- Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell, 15th Earl of Westmorland (1896–1963), a British peer and Conservative politician
- Stephen George Cecil Wilmot-Sitwell, 16th Earl of Westmorland (1924–1986), a British peer and Conservative politician
- Edward Naylor-Leyland, 17th Earl of Westmorland (b. 1954), a British peer and landscape artist
- Frederick Naylor-Leyland, 18th Earl of Westmorland (b. 1982), a British peer