Contents [hide]

Wales History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Wales History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Wales

What does the name Wales mean?

The Wales family came to Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion lead by Strongbow, Early of Pembroke, in the 12th century.

Early Origins of the Wales family

The surname Wales was first found in Ireland, their surname had been abbreviated to de Valle. De is French for 'from'; Valle means 'valley'; thus, this name means 'from the valley'. The name has been found in Irish Gaelic written de Bhál and O'Uaill, which means 'famous or renowned.' The latter is primarily a phonetic rendition of the Anlgo-Norman.

Early History of the Wales family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wales research. Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1210, 1670, 1674 and 1755 are included under the topic Early Wales History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wales Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wailes, Wales, Wallies, Wals, Walles, Wall, Walls, Wayles, Wale, Walies, Wolles and many more.

Early Notables of the Wales family

More information is included under the topic Early Wales Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wales Ranking

In the United States, the name Wales is the 5,519^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Wales migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wales Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nathaniel Wales, who landed in Boston aboard the ship "James", bound for Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1635 2
Halbert Wales, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 2

Wales Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Wales, who arrived in New England in 1718 2

Wales Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Wales, who landed in New York in 1820 2
William Wales, aged 24, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Dapper" in 1830 3
Ann Wales, aged 48, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Felix" in 1831 3
Michl Wales, aged 21, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Felix" in 1831 3
Sarah Wales, aged 18, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Felix" in 1831 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wales migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wales Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Edward J. Wales, aged 21, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" in 1849 4
Rebecca Wales, aged 20, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" in 1849 4
Edwin Wales, aged 21, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Samuel Boddington" 4
Samuel Wales, aged 14, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 5
John Wales, aged 28, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Nabob"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wales Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

Mr. M. Wales, settler from London who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Bremen" in 1903 6
Mr. Wales, settler from Durban who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Bombala" in 1904 6
Master Wales, settler from Durban who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Bombala" in 1904 6
Miss Wales, settler from Durban who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Bombala" in 1904 6
Miss A. Wales, settler from Durban who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Bombala" in 1904 6

Wales migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wales Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Priscilla Wales, (b. 1856), aged 18, Cornish servant departing on 7th May 1874 aboard the ship "Eastern Monarch" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 22nd July 1874 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Wales (post 1700) +

Wally Wales (1895-1980), born Floyd Taliaferro Alderson, an American film actor who appeared in over 220 films between 1921 and 1964
Thomas Crane Wales (1952-2001), American federal prosecutor and gun control advocate who was killed in his home, eponym of the Thomas C. Wales Foundation and the annual Tom Wales Memorial 5K Run
Joseph Howe Wales (1907-2002), American ichthyologist
Jimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales (b. 1966), American Internet entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of the Wikipedia
Gideon Wales, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1872 8
George Edward Wales (1792-1860), American politician, Representative from Vermont 3rd District, 1825-29; Probate judge in Vermont, 1847-50 8
Danforth Wales, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chenango County, 1843 8
Bradford L. Wales, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1860 8
Boyd Wales (b. 1873), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Dakota, 1924 8
B. Roger Wales (1879-1929), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Senate 40th District, 1925-29 8
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Wales Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Aut Caesar aut nihil
Motto Translation: Either Caesar or No One.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SAMUEL BODDINGTON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SamuelBoddington.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque OREGON, 521 tons - 1851 voyage to South Australia. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Oregon.htm
National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html