Whales History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Whales

What does the name Whales mean?

The name Whales arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Whales family lived in Berwickshire, at Le Whele, near the Whele Causey (Wheel Causeway) a Roman road which passes through the county. Some occurrences of the name may be derived from the original bearer's residence in Wales.

Early Origins of the Whales family

The surname Whales was first found in Berwickshire where they held a family seat from early times, at a place named Le Whele.

Early History of the Whales family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whales research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1684 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Whales History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whales Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Whale, Whele, Whaill and others.

Early Notables of the Whales family

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

Whales migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Whales or a variant listed above:

Whales Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Susan Whales, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 1

Sources +

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)