Williams History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh name Williams is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name William, which is in turn derived from the Old German names Willihelm and Willelm (the Norman French version was Guillaume). Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, William became the most popular personal name in Britain for a time.

Early Origins of the Williams family

The surname Williams was first found in Breconshire and Monmouthshire on the English/Welsh border, where they are traditionally believed to be descended from Brychan Brecheiniog who was Lord of Brecknock at the time of King Arthur of the Round Table. 

The mediaeval seat of the ancestors of the Williams family was at Llangibby Castle in County Monmouth. More recently, the family is descended through Rhys Goch, the red haired Lord Ystradyw from Caradog Vreichvras. 

One of the first records of the name was listed as Robertus filius Willelmi [1] which was listed in the Domesday Book. [2] Other early records include Richard Williams who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 and John Wylyam who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.

Early History of the Williams family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Williams research.

Williams Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person’s name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welshnames into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Williams has occasionally been spelled Williams, Quilliams, Guilliam, Guilliams and others.

Early Notables of the Williams family (pre 1700)

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Roger Williams (c.1604-1683), English-born, American clergyman, founder of the colony of Providence Plantation in 1636; Sir Henry Williams, 2nd Baronet (c. 1635-1666), a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1661; John Williams, Archbishop of York in 1641; Nathaniel Williams (1656-c.1679), a Welsh writer from Swansea; Sir Trevor Williams, 1st Baronet (c. 1623-1692) of Llangibby, Monmouthshire.

Williams World Ranking

In the United States, the name Williams is the 3^rd most popular surname with an estimated 1,738,413 people with that name. [3] However, in Canada, the name Williams is ranked the 17^thmost popular surname with an estimated 63,729 people with that name. [4] And in Quebec, Canada, the name Williams is the 544^th popular surname. [5] Newfoundland, Canada ranks Williams as 27^th with 705 people. [6] France ranks Williams as 6,400^th with 1,000 – 1,500 people. [7] Australia ranks Williams as 3^rd with 105,855 people. [8] New Zealand ranks Williams as 2^nd with 8,814 people. [9] The United Kingdom ranks Williams as 23^rd with 115,923 people. [10] South Africa ranks Williams as 34^th with 106,885 people. [11]

 Migration of the Williams family to Ireland

Some of the Williams family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.

 Williams migration to the United States +

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Williams: 

Williams Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Mr. Henery Williams, who arrived in Virginia in 1613 aboard the ship “Bolton” [12]
• Mr. Thomas Williams, aged 24, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship “Duties” in 1618 [12]
• Mrs. Susan Williams, who arrived in Virginia in 1618 aboard the ship “William and Thomas” [12]
• Mr. Thomas Williams, (1582-1621), who arrived in Plymouth in 1620 aboard the ship “Mayflower” [12]
• Mr. Roger Williams, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship “Southampton” [12]