Surname Willuns - Meaning and Origin
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Willuns: What does the surname Willuns mean?
Willuns is an Anglo-Saxon surname derived from a person with the given name “Swillan”. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words “swillan,” meaning “to boil” or “to seethe,” and “wynn,” which means “friend.” Therefore, Willuns likely meant “boiling friend,” and could have indicated a person who was a passionate, enthusiastic, and devoted friend.
The Willuns surname likely first appeared around the 11th century in England when the Middle English language was in use. During this time, last names were used more frequently and often indicated a person's occupation, status, or origin. The Willuns surname could have been given to people who were involved in the production of boiling liquid substances, such as beer, wine, liquors, and so on. Alternatively, the surname could have been used to indicate someone who had a friendly disposition.
The Willuns surname can be found in various places around the world, including North America, where it was brought by early settlers. In addition, the Willuns surname can be found in the United Kingdom and the surrounding countries. Although the exact origin of the Willuns surname is uncertain, the meaning of the last name offers some insight into the personality and characteristics of the people who bear it.
Order DNA origin analysisWilluns: Where does the name Willuns come from?
The surname Willuns is most commonly found in Europe today, primarily in Scotland, Germany, and France. The earliest records of the name appear in Scotland in 1238 and in Germany in 1420, indicating the name has been around for a long time.
Scotland is likely to have been the country of origin, as many Scottish families settled in France and Germany throughout the centuries. The name is a derivative of the name William and variations of it, such as Wilbern, Willemot, and Willmot, can be found in Scotland. The name was particularly prominent in the feudal lands of the Earls of Ulster, located in Northern Ireland. It was later adopted by many Scots who emigrated to other countries.
In modern times, a majority of people with the last name Willuns can be found in France. The name is most commonly found in the departments of the Haute-Marne and the Meurthe-et-Moselle in the region known as Lorraine. Due to a wave of immigration during the 19th century, the last name has become quite common in France.
The name is also quite prevalent in Germany, particularly in the southern parts of the country. Here the surname is often written as Wille and its variants, indicating a probable regional dialect influence. This name has been around since at least the 15th century in Germany.
In the United States, the Willuns surname is less common, with around 800 people having this last name. It can be especially found in the states of North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Utah. It is quite rare to find anyone with the Willuns surname outside of the countries of Scotland, France, and Germany.
Variations of the surname Willuns
Willuns is an uncommon English surname derived from the Old English personal name Wieland, which is composed of the elements wil ‘desire’ and land ‘territory’. It can be spelled similarly as Wilens, Willins, Willing, Willens, Willun, Willens, Willson, Wilson, Willian, Willians, Willsin, Willson, Willesson, and Wilens.
The surnames from the same origin include Wylie, Wyllie, Wylle, Wyall, Wall, Wallace, Waley, Wollastone, Wollstone, Wollkinson, Wollon, Woolan, Wulde, Wolle, Wolstenholme, Wolmule and Worle. The variants of spelling of Willuns might have different meanings. For instance, Willison is derived from the Scandinavian and Germanic meaning ‘will-helmet’ and Willsin is derived from ‘willow grove’ .
The other related names include Wilkin, Wilkie, Wilkins, Willet, Willcox, Wilcoxson, Willig, Willock, Wilnick, Willodeen, Willogood, Willoughby, Willoughton, Willsher, Willshire, Willson and Wilman.
In some cases, different spellings of a name might be anglicized from other languages, like Willun, which appears to be the anglicised version of an Old German name, Willelms, from Willelm.
The surname Willuns is uncommon and not widespread among English-speaking countries. Many people with this name live in England, since it is found mostly in the county of Yorkshire. The name is also found among the United States, New Zealand and Canada.
Famous people with the name Willuns
- Hugh Willuns: Canadian born actor who had a brief acting career in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
- John Willuns: Astronomer who made major contributions to astrophysics in the 1960s and 1970s.
- Susan Willuns: Award-winning poet and author, whose works have been published in numerous anthologies and magazines.
- Natalie Willuns: Producer and writer best known for her work on the Canadian science fiction drama series "Orphan Black".
- Jason Willuns: Canadian-born mixed martial artist and former professional wrestling champion.
- Sam Willuns: Award-winning actor best known for his role in the classic horror film "Night of the Living Dead".
- Alex Willuns: Entrepreneur, best known for co-founding the software company Autopilot.
- Richard Willuns: Former Major League Baseball shortstop who played from 1945 to 1950.
- Jami Willuns: Pro Poker player who has appeared in numerous World Series of Poker circuit events since 2010.
- Jonathan Willuns: American Olympic gold medalist record-breaking swimmer.