Wisdom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Wisdom is derived from the Old English word “wisdom” which means “wisdom, learning.” Some of the first records of the name reveal Durand Wisdom who was listed in a census in 1198 and Gilbert Wysdom who was listed in another census in 1243. 

Early Origins of the Wisdom family

The surname Wisdom was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from very ancient times at Cornwood in that shire, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Reginald of Cornwood was tenant of these lands from the Norman noble, Count of Mortain, and included three unbroken mares, ten cattle, and twenty two goats.

Early History of the Wisdom family

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

Wisdom Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wisdom, Wisedom, Wisbom, Wistow and others.

Early Notables of the Wisdom family (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Robert Wisdom (d. 1568), Archdeacon of Ely who probably belonged to the family of that name settled at Burford, Oxford.

Wisdom Ranking

In the United States, the name Wisdom is the 5,844^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]

 Migration of the Wisdom family to Ireland

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

 Wisdom migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 

Wisdom Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Henry Wisdom, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 [2]
• John Wisdom, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 [2]

Wisdom Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Stephen Wisdom, who landed in New England in 1733 [2]
• Catherine Wisdom, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1772
• Solomon H Wisdom, who arrived in Mississippi in 1799 [2]

Wisdom Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• William Wisdom, aged 29, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1845 [2]

 Wisdom migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 

Wisdom Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Hester Wisdom, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
• Obediah Wisdom, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750

 Wisdom migration to Australia+

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

Wisdom Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• Mr. Edward Wisdom, British convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the “Calcutta” in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [3]
• George Wisdom, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Buckinghamshire” in 1839 [4]
• Catherine Wisdom, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Buckinghamshire” in 1839 [4]
• Alfred Wisdom, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Buckinghamshire” in 1839 [4]
• Elizabeth Wisdom, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Buckinghamshire” in 1839 [4]

 Wisdom 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: 

Wisdom Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Richard Wisdom, aged 33, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Shamrock” in 1855
• Emma Wisdom, aged 29, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Shamrock” in 1855
• William Wisdom, aged 3, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Shamrock” in 1855
• WIlliam C. Wisdom, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Berar” in 1875
• Henry Wisdom, aged 18, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Berar” in 1875

 Wisdom migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960’s many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [5]

Wisdom Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

• Thomas Wisdom, who settled in Barbados in 1682

Contemporary Notables of the name Wisdom (post 1700) +

• John Minor Wisdom (1905-1999), American Republican politician from Louisiana, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom [6]
• Robert Wisdom (b. 1953), American actor, best known for his roles in Face/Off (1997), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Ray (2004)
• Andre Alexander Shaquille Wisdom (b. 1993), English footballer
• Sir Norman Wisdom OBE (1915-2010), English BAFTA Award winning comedian, clown, singer and actor; his last appearances were on Last of the Summer Wine and Coronation Street
• Jack Wisdom (b. 1953), American Professor of Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Oliver John Wisdom (1958-2021), British Goa and psy trance musician, and clothing producer, who lived in London
• Sir Robert Wisdom KCMG (1830-1888), born in Blackburn, Lancashire, he emigrated to Australia in 1834 with his parents and rose to become Attorney General of New South Wales
• Arthur John Terence Dibben Wisdom (1904-1993), British philosopher who extended the work of G.E. Moore, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Sigmund Freud
• Olli Wisdom, British music artist