Show ContentsWileman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Wileman

What does the name Wileman mean?

The name Wileman is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a wild man. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. 1

Early Origins of the Wileman family

The surname Wileman was first found in Berkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times and were Lords of the manor of Beaucot, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Some of the first records of the name include John Wildeman who was listed on the Close Rolls during the reign of King Richard II, which lasted from 1377 to 1399 and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Willelmus Wyldman. 1

Early History of the Wileman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wileman research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1621, 1646, 1647 and 1693 are included under the topic Early Wileman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wileman Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Wileman has undergone many spelling variations, including Wildman, Wyldman, Wileman and others.

Early Notables of the Wileman family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir John Wildman (c. 1621-1693), an English soldier and politician. "He seems to have served for a time in Sir Thomas Fairfax's lifeguards, probably about 1646, as it is hinted that he was not one of that body in the days of fighting, and had certainly ceased to belong to it by the autumn of 1647. In the autumn of 1647, when the soldiers of...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wileman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Wileman migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Wileman were among those contributors:

Wileman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Rachell Wileman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1716 2
  • Henry Wileman, aged 38, who landed in New York in 1720 2
  • Hans Geo Wileman, aged 24, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 2

Wileman migration to Australia +

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

Wileman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Henry Wileman, aged 24, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 3

Wileman 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:

Wileman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Wileman, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1868 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Wileman (post 1700) +

  • Mr. Norman John Wileman B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to the community in Kendal, Cumbria
  • Margeret Wileman, Director of Women Students, Cambridge

USS Indianapolis
  • Roy Weldon Wileman, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 5


The Wileman 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: Tentenda via est
Motto Translation: The way must be tried.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. 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)
  3. South Australian Register Monday 26th December 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Epaminondas 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1853.shtml
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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