Surname Wetmore - Meaning and Origin

Wetmore: What does the surname Wetmore mean?

The last name Wetmore is an English surname, believed to have originated from a place name. It likely originated from settlements that were noted for their wet or marshy terrain. The name likely evolved from an Anglo-Saxon term, "wet moor".

The surname Wetmore is thought to have first arrived in the United States in the early 1600’s, with the earliest records located in the state of Massachusetts. These original families chose to settle on the Puritan side of the Great Migration, a journey of thousands of English men and women who left their homeland for the promise of a better life in the New World.

The Wetmores spread to nearby states and were known for their willingness to take on a variety of jobs. In more recent history, members of the Wetmore family have been board members of companies, lawyers, politicians, teachers, doctors, and other professionals.

It is believed that the earliest Wetmores were Derbyshire natives, who lived in sizable family groups in villages or hamlets. This points to strong family ties which could be one of the reasons why the Wetmore surname endured through ages of upheaval.

Today, the Wetmore clan is still a tightly knit family which values loyalty, tradition, and determination in the face of adversity. With the family’s progress from a small settlement to a large, multifaceted surname, it’s safe to say the name has a strong legacy despite its rather simple beginning.

Wetmore: Where does the name Wetmore come from?

The last name Wetmore is most commonly found in North America. In the United States, the name is most common in the state of Texas, followed by other southern states such as Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. The surname is also prevalent in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada.

The popularity of the Wetmore surname is likely due to successive waves of migration to North America. In particular, the French Huguenots who left France for America in the late 1600s and British immigrants who fled religious and political persecution in the early 1700s brought the Wetmore name with them across the ocean.

In addition, the last name Wetmore has also become more common as several branches of the Wetmore family have moved around the continent, settling in different parts of the United States and Canada.

Despite its usage in North America, the Wetmore surname is also present in several other countries, including France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand. The distributions of Wetmore is less concentrated in these countries, and the name appears as a much rarer surname.

Variations of the surname Wetmore

The surname Wetmore is of early medieval English origin and is believed to be derived from the Old English "wetmor," meaning "enclosed marsh." The variants of this name are Wetmoor, Wetmoore, Wethmore, Whitmore, Whitmoor, Whiltmore, Whittmore, Whetmore, Whettoer, and Whytemore.

Spellings of this surname include Wetmaer, Wettmaer, Wetmaere, Wettmaere, Wetmair, Wettmair, Wetmaire, Wettmaire, Wetmaur, Wettmaur, Wetmauer, Wettmauer, Wetmoe, Wettmoe, Wetmoore, Wettmoore, and Whetmoor.

Surnames of the same origin include Whitmoor, Whitmere, Wythemere, Wightmore, Wightmire, Wetmore, Wythymire, Wyattmore, Wettenmore, Wytenmore, Wyttimore, Wythemere, Wyrentmore, Wyttmore, and Weightmire.

Wetmore is a common surname mainly found in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and it is derived from various geographical locations such as a lake, a marsh, an area near a river, or a settlement near a marsh. It is also a common surname in the United States, where it is believed to have been brought to by several English and Scottish immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Famous people with the name Wetmore

• Charles B. Wetmore: American entrepreneur, politician, and viticulturist who founded the now-defunct winery Inglenook, as well as the California wine-making industry.
• Franklin T. Wetmore: American painter, graphic artist, and art teacher whose works were mainly Impressionist-style landscapes and still life paintings.
• John C. Wetmore: American stage and television actor who is most known for his role as Senator Charles Wyman in the popular television series The West Wing.
• Reuben Wetmore: 19th century American poet and newspaper editor.
• Levi Wetmore: American educator and politician who served during the Civil War and was a state representative from Vermont and later Ohio.
• Andra Wetmore: Canadian-American actress who has appeared in several films and television shows, most notably in The X-Files.
• Christopher Wetmore: Canadian visual artist and photographer whose works often explore themes of identity and place.
• William Humphrey Wetmore: American entrepreneur, lawyer, conservationist, and ornithologist who was an advocate for the protection of wild birds.
• Trevor Wetmore: Professional hockey player from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, currently playing with the Newcastle Jesters of the MLH.
• George Washington Wetmore: American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Rhode Island from 1885 to 1889.

Other surnames

Wetmor