Willson Family Tree research resources
Investigate the background of the Willson Family History using the resources below. We hope you find these sites useful whilst you are researching your Family History !
 | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 3360 people with the Willson surname? In that year Willson was ranked number 1245 for popularity in the UK. |
Willson records on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out your Willson family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for the Willson family. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for the Willson family. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for the Willson family. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for the Willson family. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for the Willson family. |
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Historical References
"WILSON, WILSONE, WILLSON. 'Son of WILL,' q.v. John Wulson was a merchant in the service of Sir John of Mountgomery in 1405 (Bain, rv, 697), Michael Wilsoun was burgess of Irvine in 1418 (Irvine, i, p. 127), and John Wilson was burgess of Berwick in 1467 (RD., 461). Thomas Wolsoun was tenant of Neubotel Abbey in 1563 (Neubotle, p. 328), and Dand Vilsone and Pait Vilsoun were tenants of the abbot of Kelso in 1567 (Kelso, p. 519, 524). William Willsoun is recorded as indweller in Cunyngham Baidland in 1662 (Hunter, p. 50). The northern Wilsons are ranked as a sept of Clan Gunn, through George Gunn's son William, who flourished in the fifteenth century. The name was very common in Glasgow in the sixteenth century. Peter Wilson (1746-1825), classical scholar and linguist, professor of Greek and Latin in Columbia University, New York, was born in Ordiquhill, Aberdeenshire; and Alexander Wilson (1766 61813), the American ornithologist, was bom in Paisley. For the spelling Wulson compare the Rev. Thomas Chalmers's pronunciation of 'filthy' as 'fulthy.' Villsone 1572, Vylsone 1511, Willesoun 1526, Willson 1668, Wilsoine 1586, Wilsowne 1549, Wilsoune 1554, Wulsone 1568 (this is a common broad pronunciation at the present day), Wylson 1506, Wylsoune 1547; Willsone, Wolson, Wyleson. WILSON, WILSONE, WILLSON. 'Son of WILL,' q.v. John Wulson was a merchant in the service of Sir John of Mountgomery in 1405 (Bain, rv, 697), Michael Wilsoun was burgess of Irvine in 1418 (Irvine, i, p. 127), and John Wilson was burgess of Berwick in 1467 (RD., 461). Thomas Wolsoun was tenant of Neubotel Abbey in 1563 (Neubotle, p. 328), and Dand Vilsone and Pait Vilsoun were tenants of the abbot of Kelso in 1567 (Kelso, p. 519, 524). William Willsoun is recorded as indweller in Cunyngham Baidland in 1662 (Hunter, p. 50). The northern Wilsons are ranked as a sept of Clan Gunn, through George Gunn's son William, who flourished in the fifteenth century. The name was very common in Glasgow in the sixteenth century. Peter Wilson (1746-1825), classical scholar and linguist, professor of Greek and Latin in Columbia University, New York, was born in Ordiquhill, Aberdeenshire; and Alexander Wilson (1766 61813), the American ornithologist, was bom in Paisley. For the spelling Wulson compare the Rev. Thomas Chalmers's pronunciation of 'filthy' as 'fulthy.' Villsone 1572, Vylsone 1511, Willesoun 1526, Willson 1668, Wilsoine 1586, Wilsowne 1549, Wilsoune 1554, Wulsone 1568 (this is a common broad pronunciation at the present day), Wylson 1506, Wylsoune 1547; Willsone, Wolson, Wyleson. "(The surnames of Scotland. George Fraser Black, 1866-1948)
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Willson ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Willson Tree?
Visit our Willson DNA page to find out more.
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for the Willson Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Willson Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources listed below it will be possible to locate a birth record and, from that record, a birth certificate may be obtainable which is likely to list the names of the parents, therefore taking you back another generation. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Willson family tree.
Check out Willson Parish Records at Find My Past.
Check out the UK registered births, marriages and deaths for the Willson family name using the FreeBMD database.
Investigate Genealogy Bank for Willson family records.
Search MyHeritage for Willson family data.
Look at the LDS Database for records of the Willson family.
Research the Willson surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Willson Military records.
| Did you know that there are currently 2801 people with the Willson surname in the UK? Willson is now ranked number 1908 for popularity in the UK. |
Willson Family History Databases
Check out WikiTree for user contributed Willson family records. Collaboration is encouraged so that accuracy of Willson data can be verified or corrected by other users.
Search MyTrees for information on the Willson family and people looking to contact living Willson relations.
Search GENi for Willson family records.
Find your Irish Willson relatives on findmypast.ie
Willson Forums
Research the Willson surname using Genealogy.com forums .
| Did you know that there are currently 12153 people with the Willson surname in the USA? Willson is ranked number 153 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Willson Databases
Investigate the Ellis Island Database for information on the Willson family. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Use the Surname Map project to look at the current distribution of the Willson surname in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Romania.
Ask a Question
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