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Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 137543 people with the Wilson surname? In that year Wilson was ranked number 7 for popularity in the UK.

The Origin of the Wilson surname

The Wilson name originated in England and Wales and simply means "the son of Will" (Will being an abbreviated version of William).

The name William comes from an old French first name with some German origins - the "Will" meaning will or desire and "helm" meaning helmet or protection.

"The son of William. The family are said to be descended from a Prince of Denmark, and were established at a very remote period in the Orkney islands, intermarrying with the clans of Monro, and others. After a long continuance in the north, alliances taking place with some of the principal Lowland families, the Wilsons moved southward. Motto: "Wilsone will." "_{(The origin and signification of Scottish surnames. Clifford Stanley Sims, 1862)}

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"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)}

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