The Wellington surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,784 people carried this name — #5,156 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 43,500 people counted. That is up 8% from 6,257 in 2000.

See Wellington on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Wellington surname

A habitational surname from Old English from the places in England.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Wellington» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Wellington’.

An early record he cites: Robert de Welinton, Shropshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 801 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

20 people named Wellington is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 20

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Wellington was found among the farmers of Cornwall: 12 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Cornwall 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Wellington in American newspapers,
1886–1898.

Newspaper page from The Canton Times carrying the name Wellington
The Canton Times 1898-04-22
Newspaper page from The Philipsburg Mail carrying the name Wellington
The Philipsburg Mail 1898-04-29
Newspaper page from Daily Yellowstone Journal carrying the name Wellington
Daily Yellowstone Journal 1886-06-30

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,449 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Wellington in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2010s.

53,073 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wellington. The most, 9,656, date from the 1910s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 13,166
New South Wales 11,531
South Australia 10,167
Queensland 7,317
Western Australia 6,347
Tasmania 4,239
ACT (Canberra) 166
Northern Territory 44

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Wellington.

Who carried it

People named Wellington,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Margaret Wellington 1325–
  • Roger Wellington 1609–1698
  • Joseph Wellington 1643–1724
  • Benjamin Wellington 1647–1710
  • Elizabeth Wellington 1673–1739
  • Thomas Wellington 1686–1759

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Wellington,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States615 records

615 records of the Wellington name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 165
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 150
  • Other U.S. records 300
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Quincy Wellington

    Born 1916 in South Dakota. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1984, buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Wellington

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 26; miner. From Acklington, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Jack R. Wellington

    U.S. Navy veteran. Born 1943, died 1983; buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 615 records for Wellington in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia571 records

571 records of the Wellington name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 296
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 133
  • Other Australian records 142
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Joseph Wellington

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Maria Somes, sailing from London in 1844. Native of Staffordshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850. Married 1851 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas Wellington

    Died 1917 in Beaconsfield, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1917.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Eliz Wellington

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Africa, aged 29; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 571 records for Wellington in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada36 records

36 records of the Wellington name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 13
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 9
  • Other Canadian records 14
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Honarine Wellington

    Died 1944 in Saulnierville Station, Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Francis A. Wellington

    Buried in 1954 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Ernest George Wellington

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 36 records for Wellington in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom8 records

8 records of the Wellington name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Wellington

    Shropshire Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record L. Wellington

    Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record N. Wellington

    Driver, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Wellington in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the Wellington name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Wellington

    Died 1924, aged 85; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Emily Wellington

    Died 1912, aged 71; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Wellington

    Died 1963, aged 82; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Wellington in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Wellington name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Charles Wellington

    Born 1928 in Sainte-Lucie; died 2001 in Kourou (Guyane).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Antoinette Wellington

    Born 1918 in Saint-Martin; died 1998 in Saint-Martin (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Antoinette Wellington

    Born 1899 in Saint-Martin; died 1998 in Saint-Martin (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Wellington in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Wellington name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Berijl Wellington

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1903 in Stockton.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Wellington.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Wellington is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Wellington volume
Scroll to Top