Willoughby Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Willoughby last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Willoughby last name
Meaning of the Willoughby last name: willow farm. Willoughby is an English surname taken from East Midlands villages named for willows (Old English welig) and a Norse farmstead word, byr. A baronial family, the Willoughbys of Eresby, held land in Lincolnshire for centuries. The last name travelled to the colonies and is common in Virginia.
Arms associated with the Willoughby name
In English heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Willoughby name are described in a blazon, a short formal text.
Get your full Willoughby family history
This is only a glimpse of the Willoughby story. The full Willoughby history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Willoughby coat of arms. Get the full Willoughby report.
Willoughby name FAQ
What does the Willoughby name mean?
willow farm. Common variants include Willoughbie, Willby.
Where does the Willoughby surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Willoughby coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Willoughby coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).