Weir History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland
England

Etymology of Weir

What does the name Weir mean?

The surname Weir is of Norman origin. It was introduced into Normandy by Norsemen where it was derived from the Old Norse word "ver" which meant a "station" or "fishing station." After the Norman Conquest, the name was later derived from the Old English word "wær," or "wer," meaning "a weir." In both cases, the name was a topographic name. 1

Early Origins of the Weir family

The surname Weir was first found in Roxburghshire, where they were descended from Aubri de Vere, a descendant of the Duchess Judith in 1058. His son, another Aubri, accompanied William the Conqueror to Hastings in 1066, and built a castle at Hedingham in Essex, and held Kensington in Middlesex.

He was the ancestor of the Earls of Oxford. Although the de Veres were highly respected members of the aristocracy in England, a branch of the family moved northward in 1069 and settled in the lowlands of Scotland at Sprowestun, in Roxburghshire.

Another source provides more detail: "Of Norman origin from one or other of the places named Vere in Calvados, Manche, Eure-et-Loire, and Oise. The word was introduced into Normandy by the Norsemen from their own ver, a station, as in fiskiver, a fishing station, a word etymologically akin to Old English weir, wear, a dam. Ralph or Radulphus de Ver is perhaps the first of the name recorded in Scotland. As Ralph de Ver he was taken prisoner at Alnwick along with William the Lion in 1174. He witnessed a charter by King William "de decimis episcopatus" of Moray between 1174-84." 2

"The Weirs of Lesmahago, Blackwood, &c., in Lanarkshire, claim descent from the great baronial family of De Vere, having been founded in Scotland by Baltredus de Vere, in the reign of Malcolm IV., about the middle of the twelfth century. From documents quoted in Chambers' Caledonia, it appears that the name Vere, or Weir, was by no means uncommon among the Norman settlers in Scotland, in that century." 3

Some remained in England as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 noted: John de la Were, Oxfordshire; and Robert de la Were, Gloucestershire. 1

Early History of the Weir family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weir research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1012, 1069, 1174, 1296, 1398, 1400, 1432, 1489, 1497, 1600, 1638, 1662, 1670, 1694, 1713, 1794, 1838, 1876 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Weir History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weir Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Weir, Vere, Ver and others.

Early Notables of the Weir family

Notable among the family at this time was

Rebecca Weir, grandmother of Ulysses S. Grant, U.S. President
Thomas Weir (1600?-1670), was a reputed sorcerer, son of a Lanarkshire proprietor in Clydesdale. "Whether influenced by remorse or lunacy, or a combination of the two, Weir, though he never professed...
Captain Thomas Benton Weir (1838-1876), was an officer in the 7th Cavalry Regiment who is best known for his participation in the Battle of the Little Bighorn (Custer's Last Stand.) Weir Point, a hill...

Weir World Ranking

In the United States, the name Weir is the 1,698^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Weir is ranked the 684^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,634 people with that name. 5 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Weir is the 577^th popular surname with an estimated 80 people with that name. 6 Australia ranks Weir as 403^rd with 9,161 people. 7 New Zealand ranks Weir as 269^th with 2,252 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Weir as 511^st with 12,734 people. 9

Migration of the Weir family to Ireland

Some of the Weir family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 115 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weir migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Weir Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Weir, who settled in New England in 1685

Weir Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert and Rachel Weir, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1763
Andrew Weir, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1763 10
David Weir, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 10
John Weir, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 10
Thomas Weir, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Weir Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Geo Weir, who landed in America in 1805 10
James Weir, who arrived in Virginia in 1810 10
Joseph Weir, aged 26, who arrived in Delaware in 1812 10
Arthur Weir, aged 24, who landed in Delaware in 1812 10
Eliza Weir, who arrived with two children in New York in 1822
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Weir migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Weir Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. James Weir U.E. who settled in Didgequash, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the 74th Regiment 11
Mr. Thomas Weir U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 11

Weir Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Richard and Thomas Weir, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1814 12
Robert Weir, who was a joiner from Glasgow, Scotland, married in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1847 12
Jane Weir, who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1848
Agnes Weir, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1848
Mary Weir, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1848
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Weir migration to Australia +

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

Weir Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. David Weir, British Convict who was convicted in Dumfries, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. William Weir, British Convict who was convicted in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Andrew Weir, a carpenter, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Colin Weir, a blacksmith, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. Thomas Weir, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 19th November 1827, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Weir 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:

Weir Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Weir, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 16
Mr. D. Weir, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Blundell" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1848 16
Mrs. Weir, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK with 3 sons aboard the ship "Blundell" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1848 16
John Weir, aged 44, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 16
Mr. John Weir, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Inchinnan" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 27th May 1852 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Weir (post 1700) +

Samuel Edwin "Ed" Weir (1903-1991), American collegiate and professional football player
Stephnie Carmel Weir (b. 1967), American actress, comedienne, and writer
Julian Alden Weir (1852-1919), American impressionist painter
Amanda Jo Weir (b. 1986), American Olympic silver medalist swimmer
Robert Hall "Bob" Weir (b. 1947), American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, founding member of the Grateful Dead
Mary Hayward Weir (1915-1968), American steel heiress and socialite
Russell David Weir (1951-2022), Scottish professional PGA golfer who played mostly on the Scottish PGA circuit, the "Tartan Tour", where he won over 100 times, winner of the PGA Club Professionals Championship in 1987 and 1988 and won the European club professional title three times
William Weir (1802-1858), Scottish journalist, born at Mount Hamilton in Ayrshire
James "Jim" McIntosh Weir (b. 1969), Scottish professional football player and manager
Mary "Molly" Weir (1910-2004), Scottish stage actress
... (Another 28 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Weir family +

Empress of Ireland

Miss Violet Maud Weir (1891-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 17

Halifax Explosion

Mr. C Weir (1896-1917), Canadian Signalman aboard the HMCS Niobe from who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 18

HMS Royal Oak

William Weir (b. 1922), British Boy 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 19

RMS Lusitania

Mrs. Margaret Weir, Scottish Stewardess from Glasgow, Scotland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 20
Mr. Cecil Hamilton Weir, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 21

RMS Titanic

Colonel John Weir (d. 1912), aged 59, American First Class passenger from New York City, New York who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 22

The Weir 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: Vero nihil verius
Motto Translation: Nothing truer than truth.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1827
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html