Surname Woolaston. - Meaning and Origin
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Woolaston.: What does the surname Woolaston. mean?
The last name Woolaston is believed to have originated from an ancient English village in the county of Gloucestershire known as Woolaston. The name first emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period of Britain's history, and the original Anglo-Saxon bearer of the Woolaston surname was first recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. It is further believed to be a topographic name for someone who lived by a woodland area, derived from the Old english term "waell" meaning a wood and "tun" which means an enclosure or settlement.
The name Woolaston has changed over the years and exists today in various spellings, such as Wollaston and Woolister. Although variations of the spelling exist, the pronunciation remains the same. Variations of the name Woolaston were sometimes spelled with an 'i' as seen in the surname Woolister, which became very common in Lancashire during the nineteenth century.
An early reference of the Woolaston name can be traced back to 1318 when a "Walram filius Whelaunce" was documented in the Assize Court Rolls of Nottinghamshire. During the middle of the 16th century, the Woolaston family flourished and additional records of the name begin to appear.
The name Woolaston is frequently found in English records prior to the 19th century. The population of Woolaston was never large, but its reputation as a village of some repute has stood the test of time. The Woolaston surname is one of the oldest of the locational surnames created from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
Order DNA origin analysisWoolaston.: Where does the name Woolaston. come from?
The last name Woolaston is a variant of the more common last name Walton. The name Woolaston is still fairly popular today. It is mainly concentrated within the United Kingdom in the regions of England, Wales and Scotland, where it is especially prominent in the counties of Herefordshire and Cornwall. It is also seen in other parts of the British Isles, such as Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Woolaston is believed to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon personal name "Wala(n)", making Woolaston a locative name meaning "one from Walton". This is associated with the Old English words "walh" which means foreign, and "tun" which means a town or enclosed land. Hence the name Woolaston is said to have been derived from the settlement of "Walh's Town".
The name Woolaston is also seen quite prominently in the US, especially in the states of Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee and Georgia. It is however less popular in other states such as California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Florida. Moreover, Woolastons are found in parts of Australia and New Zealand.
From a linguistic perspective, the name Woolaston is derived from the Old English words "walh" and "tun" and is believed to be of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is still seen in various parts of the world today, especially the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand. Nonetheless, it remains a distinctly uncommon name compared to some of its relatives such as Walton, Wallington and Wolstan.
Variations of the surname Woolaston.
The surname Woolaston has a range of variants, spellings, and derivations including Wooleston, Woolistone, Woolston, Woolstone, Wolfston, Woolstone, Willstone, Woolhaugh, Woolman, Wulstan and Ulfstan.
The ‘Woolaston’ form is most likely derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Ulfestan, composed of two elements: Ulf, an Anglo-Saxon form of the Old Germanic name Wulf, meaning ‘wolf’; and the Old English word stan, which means ‘stone’.
The long and varied history of Woolaston can also be found in many variations. For example, the woolston variant is thought to have been an adaptation of the name sometime in the 12th century. This came from the Gaelic or Irish deUlster, meaning a dweller on the island of Ulla. Woolistone, Woolhaugh and Woolman are all variations of Woolaston which have arisen through dialectal changes or simple variations in spelling. Similarly, Willstone may have also been a shortened form of the Gaelic deUlster name which eventually became Woolaston.
The surname Wulstan is a compound form of the Anglo-Saxon name ‘Wul’ and ‘Stane’. The translation of this name can be taken from the Old Anglo-Saxon ‘wulf’ meaning ‘wolf’ and ‘stane’ meaning ‘stone’. It is likely that this variation of the surname may be derived from a place or geographical area which had combined elements of wool and stone within its name. Finally, Ulfstan is believed to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Ulfestan, which is composed from the elements ‘Ulf’ meaning ‘wolf’ and ‘stan’ meaning ‘stone’.
Throughout its various forms, the Woolaston surname has endured many changes over the centuries but has still retained its identifiable associations with those of its ancient origins.
Famous people with the name Woolaston.
- Pete Woolaston: Former Liverpool Football Club defender.
- Tracey Woolaston: Australian netballer.
- Wilf Woolaston: Former British international discus thrower.
- Lori Woolaston: American artist and sculptor.
- William Woolaston: English theologian from 17th century.
- Henry Woolaston: English diarist from 17th century.
- Francesco Woolaston: Italian opera singer from 17th century.
- William Woolaston Smith: English clergyman from 19th century.
- Jarred Woolaston: British-Australian comedian.
- Taryn Woolaston: New Zealand skater.