Language & meaning
Meaning & Irish forms
English & Scottish English and Scottish: a patronymic from Will, first recorded in England in 1324 and in Scotland in 1405, brought to Ireland by settlers from Britain.[1][2]
The name is built on the personal name Will, usually explained as “a pet form of William, from a Germanic element meaning 'will' or 'desire'”. Wikipedia traces the medieval Will to names containing the Germanic or Old Norse element wil. Woulfe also explains Will as a pet form of William.[1][3]
Pronunciation
Wilson: WIL-sun
Place
Where the Wilsons lived
How common the name was in each county, as a share of the population, in the three surviving full censuses of Ireland. Use the buttons to compare years.
Share of each county's census population. 1926 covers the 26 counties of the Irish Free State only.
Highest concentration · 1901
Antrim
98 per 10,000
4,496 Wilsons · 3.06× the national share
Highest share, 1901
Per 10,000 residents. A concentration index above 1 means the name was commoner there than nationally.
Highest concentration · 1911
Antrim
96 per 10,000
4,581 Wilsons · 2.98× the national share
Highest share, 1911
Per 10,000 residents. A concentration index above 1 means the name was commoner there than nationally.
County figures as a table
| County | 1901 | 1911 | 1926 | Per 10k 1901 | Per 10k 1911 | Per 10k 1926 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim | 4,496 | 4,581 | — | 98 | 96 | — |
| Armagh | 1,142 | 1,037 | — | 92 | 87 | — |
| Carlow | 59 | 60 | 29 | 16 | 17 | 9 |
| Cavan | 313 | 309 | 232 | 32 | 34 | 28 |
| Clare | 47 | 27 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Cork | 375 | 331 | 259 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Donegal | 622 | 567 | 482 | 36 | 34 | 32 |
| Down | 2,249 | 2,349 | — | 78 | 77 | — |
| Dublin | 1,127 | 1,210 | 1,121 | 26 | 25 | 22 |
| Fermanagh | 568 | 493 | — | 88 | 81 | — |
| Galway | 32 | 55 | 55 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Kerry | 26 | 32 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Kildare | 105 | 119 | 93 | 17 | 18 | 16 |
| Kilkenny | 94 | 108 | 92 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
| Laois | 43 | 50 | 35 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Leitrim | 111 | 87 | 82 | 16 | 14 | 15 |
| Limerick | 41 | 41 | 39 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Londonderry | 816 | 799 | — | 56 | 57 | — |
| Longford | 85 | 69 | 27 | 18 | 16 | 7 |
| Louth | 45 | 50 | 50 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Mayo | 84 | 73 | 88 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Meath | 28 | 28 | 45 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Monaghan | 239 | 220 | 191 | 32 | 31 | 29 |
| Offaly | 35 | 38 | 29 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Roscommon | 14 | 20 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Sligo | 40 | 45 | 32 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Tipperary | 83 | 109 | 68 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Tyrone | 923 | 809 | — | 61 | 57 | — |
| Waterford | 54 | 56 | 39 | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| Westmeath | 105 | 83 | 58 | 17 | 14 | 10 |
| Wexford | 81 | 91 | 105 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Wicklow | 159 | 164 | 136 | 27 | 27 | 24 |
Local strongholds in 1911
District Electoral Divisions (300+ residents) where Wilsons made up the largest share of the population. In Ballycor, Co. Antrim, about one resident in 13 was a Wilson.
| DED | County | Wilsons | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballycor | Antrim | 55 | 7.6% |
| Castlecoole | Fermanagh | 50 | 7.5% |
| Connor. | Antrim | 94 | 7.1% |
| Killoquin, Upper | Antrim | 72 | 6.9% |
| Ballyreagh | Fermanagh | 25 | 6.2% |
| Ballydoolagh | Fermanagh | 27 | 6.0% |
| Quintin | Down | 36 | 4.6% |
| Rashee | Antrim | 40 | 4.5% |
Origins
Septs & territories
Many Irish surnames were adopted independently by unrelated families. These are the distinct Wilson lineages described in the sources.
A surname can point you towards a place. On its own, it cannot establish a pedigree.
Wilson of Dergalt
Dergalt townland, parish of Camus, near Strabane · Tyrone
The family of President Woodrow Wilson's paternal grandparents, who emigrated from Strabane to the United States in 1807. The Wilson ancestral home stands in the townland of Dergalt.[6][7]
Wilson of Currygrane
Currygrane · Longford, Antrim
Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson's family, who Wikipedia says came to Carrickfergus with William of Orange in 1690. They did well in Belfast shipping in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and later became landowners; Henry Wilson was born at Currygrane.[8]
Wilson of Dublin
Dublin · Dublin
A Dublin merchant family for whom Burke records a grant of arms in 1814 to the Rev. James Wilson of Trinity College Dublin, son of James Wilson, merchant of the city.[9]
The name over time
History
Son of Will
Wilson is a patronymic surname formed from Will, the everyday short form of William, a very popular name in the Middle Ages. Wikipedia notes its first known appearances as Willeson in England in 1324 and as Wulson in Scotland in 1405. It became one of the most common surnames in both countries, which is why it is impossible to point to a single place of origin. Wilsons in Ireland may descend from English or from Scottish families, and in most cases only a family's own records can show which.[1]
Settlers from Britain
Wilson is not a Gaelic Irish name, and it reached Ireland with people from Britain. The largest movement of British settlers into Ireland was the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, whose colonists came mostly from the Scottish Lowlands and northern England, both regions where Wilson was already well established. Later arrivals followed: Sir Henry Wilson's family, according to Wikipedia, landed at Carrickfergus with William of Orange in 1690 and went on to prosper in Belfast shipping before buying land after the Encumbered Estates Act of 1849.[2][1][8]
Mac Liam and Mac Uilliam
Patrick Woulfe, compiling Irish forms for the surnames found in Ireland in 1923, gave Wilson the Irish equivalent Mac Liam, 'son of Will'. He also listed Wilson among the many English forms of Mac Uilliam, 'son of William', along with MacWilliams, Williamson and Willison. That listing suggests that a few Irish Wilsons may descend from families who were once known as MacWilliam, though Woulfe gives no history for either name. Robert McLiam Wilson, the Northern Irish novelist, revived the Irish form by adding McLiam to his name.[3][5][4]
Wilsons abroad
The best-known Wilson of Irish descent is Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States. His father's parents left Strabane in Co. Tyrone in 1807 and settled in Steubenville, Ohio, where his grandfather James Wilson published a newspaper that supported tariffs and opposed slavery. The family's ancestral home survives in the townland of Dergalt, in the parish of Camus, whose name comes from the Irish for 'red glenside'.[6][7]
Wilson's Hospital
Some Irish Wilsons left their name on institutions. Wilson's Hospital, near Multyfarnham in Co. Westmeath, was founded in 1761 by Andrew Wilson as both a school for young Protestant boys and a hospital for old men. Its Georgian main building, with a chapel, was designed by John Pentland and completed between 1759 and 1761. It remains a Church of Ireland co-educational boarding school and is the oldest school in Westmeath.[10]
Places linked to the name
- Dergalt, Co. Tyrone — Townland near Strabane containing the ancestral home of Woodrow Wilson's family.[7][6]
- Wilson's Hospital, Multyfarnham, Co. Westmeath — School and almshouse founded by Andrew Wilson in 1761.[10]
- Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim — Where Sir Henry Wilson's ancestors are said to have landed with William of Orange in 1690.[8]
- Currygrane, Co. Longford — Estate of the Wilson family and birthplace of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson.[8]
Everyday lives
The Wilsons in the census
Who the Wilsons were in the 1901 and 1911 censuses (and 1926 where recorded), set against everyone in Ireland in the same census.
Wilsons All of Ireland Ireland's figure marked on the Wilson bar
Religion, 1911
Irish language
299 Wilsons spoke Irish only in 1901.
Reading & writing
Family life, 1911
Commonest occupations
Adults aged 15+, 1901 and 1911 combined.
| Farmer | 2,162 |
| Farmer's son | 816 |
| Farmer's daughter | 453 |
| General labourer | 400 |
| House keeper | 310 |
| Seamstress | 293 |
| Labourer | 261 |
| Agricultural labourer | 259 |
| Farm servant | 236 |
| Linen weaver | 231 |
Born outside Ireland
6.4% of Wilsons in 1911 gave a birthplace outside Ireland.
| England | 544 |
| Scotland | 290 |
| United States | 22 |
| India | 17 |
| Wales | 7 |
| Australia & NZ | 7 |
Median age: 24 in 1901, 26 in 1911.
Given names
First names among the Wilsons
Men and boys
- John1,631
- James1,442
- William1,408
- Robert1,002
- Thomas923
- Samuel618
- Joseph460
- George442
- David384
- Alexander274
Women and girls
- Mary1,310
- Elizabeth797
- Jane699
- Margaret683
- Annie664
- Sarah645
- Maggie468
- Lizzie391
- Ellen336
- Agnes302
All three censuses combined. Top five in 1926: John, James, William, Thomas, Robert; Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret, Annie, Bridget.
Spellings
Spellings
This page combines the spellings below, which census enumerators and families used for the same name.
| Spelling | 1901 | 1911 | 1926 | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 14,241 | 14,110 | 3,434 | Search |
Related forms
- Willson — A variant spelling of the same surname.[1]
- Willison — Listed by Woulfe with Wilson as English forms of Mac Uilliam.[5]
- Williamson, MacWilliams — Related 'son of William' names; Woulfe groups them with Wilson under Mac Uilliam.[5][1]
- McLiam — From Mac Liam, Woulfe's Irish form of Wilson, as used by the novelist Robert McLiam Wilson.[3][4]
Diaspora
The Wilsons abroad
Emigration carried the name worldwide. In the 2010 United States census:
| Spelling | People | US rank |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson | 801,882 | 14th |
Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file (public domain).
Heraldry
Is there a Wilson coat of arms?
With so many unrelated Wilson families there is no single Wilson coat of arms. Burke's General Armory lists dozens of Wilson entries, each belonging to a particular family. One Irish example is the grant of 1814 to the Rev. James Wilson of Trinity College Dublin, son of a Dublin merchant: a shield divided chevronwise gold and silver, with a star between two green trefoils above and a black wolf rampant below, a demi-wolf crest, and the motto 'Semper vigilans'.[9]
Websites selling a single “Wilson family crest” are selling a design, not an inheritance. Arms in Ireland belonged to individuals and their heirs, and the Chief Herald of Ireland still grants arms that way today.
People
Notable people named Wilson
- Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) 28th President of the United States, grandson of emigrants from Strabane, Co. Tyrone.
- Sir Henry Wilson (1864–1922) Longford-born field marshal and unionist MP, assassinated in London by the IRA.
- Florence Mary Wilson (c. 1870–1946) Lisburn-born poet who wrote the ballad 'The Man from God Knows Where'.
- John P. Wilson (1923–2007) Fianna Fáil minister who served as Tánaiste from 1990 to 1993.
- Gordon Wilson (1927–1995) Enniskillen draper who forgave the bombers who killed his daughter in 1987; later a senator.
- Paddy Wilson (c. 1933–1973) Nationalist politician in Northern Ireland, murdered by the loyalist Ulster Freedom Fighters.
- Cedric Wilson (born 1948) Leader of the Northern Ireland Unionist Party and MLA for Strangford.
- Sammy Wilson (born 1953) DUP politician, MP for East Antrim since 2005.
- Kevin Wilson (born 1961) English-born striker who played international football for Northern Ireland.
- Robert McLiam Wilson (born 1964) Northern Irish novelist, author of Ripley Bogle and Eureka Street.
Questions
Questions about the Wilson name
Is Wilson an Irish surname?
Wilson is not Gaelic Irish in origin. It is an English and Scottish name meaning 'son of Will', brought to Ireland by settlers from Britain, such as the Plantation colonists in Ulster, who came mostly from Lowland Scotland and northern England. It has been an Irish surname for centuries, though, and Woulfe gave it an Irish form, Mac Liam.[1][2][3]
Is Wilson English or Scottish?
Both. The name arose independently in England and Scotland from the popular personal name Will, with early records in England in 1324 and in Scotland in 1405. Irish Wilsons may descend from either, and the surname alone cannot tell you which.[1]
What is Wilson in Irish?
Woulfe gives Mac Liam, 'son of Will', as the Irish form of Wilson. He also lists Wilson among the English forms of Mac Uilliam, 'son of William'. The novelist Robert McLiam Wilson took the Irish form into his own name.[3][5][4]
What does the name Wilson mean?
It means 'son of Will'. Will was the usual short form of William, a name that goes back to Germanic elements, the first of which, wil, means 'will' or 'desire'.[1][3]
Was Woodrow Wilson of Irish descent?
Yes, on his father's side. Wikipedia records that his paternal grandparents emigrated from Strabane, Co. Tyrone, to the United States in 1807 and settled in Steubenville, Ohio. The family's ancestral home is in the townland of Dergalt, near Strabane.[6][7]
Is there a Wilson family crest or coat of arms?
No single one. Burke's General Armory lists many separate Wilson coats of arms, granted to unrelated families. An Irish example is the 1814 grant to the Rev. James Wilson of Trinity College Dublin, with a wolf and trefoils and the motto 'Semper vigilans'. Arms belong to the family they were granted to.[9]
Where in Ireland is the Wilson surname most common?
In the 1911 census the largest numbers of Wilsons lived in Antrim (4,581), Down (2,349), Dublin (1,210). Relative to population, the name was most concentrated in Antrim (96 per 10,000), Armagh (87 per 10,000), Fermanagh (81 per 10,000).
How common was the Wilson surname in Ireland?
14,110 people were recorded as Wilson in the 1911 census of Ireland, making it the 31st most common surname. That is roughly 0.3% of the population, or 1 person in 312.
Looking for a Wilson ancestor?
Search every Wilson household in the 1901, 1911 and 1926 censuses, with free images of the original forms.
Evidence
Sources
- Wikipedia, Wilson (name) (2026)
- Wikipedia, Plantation of Ulster (2026)
- Patrick Woulfe, Mac Liam, in Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
- Wikipedia, Robert McLiam Wilson (2026)
- Patrick Woulfe, Mac Uilliam, in Irish Names and Surnames (1923)
- Wikipedia, Woodrow Wilson (2026)
- Wikipedia, Dergalt (2026)
- Wikipedia, Sir Henry Wilson, 1st Baronet (2026)
- Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales (1884). Entry 'Wilson (Dublin; granted, 1814, to Rev. James Wilson)'.
- Wikipedia, Wilson's Hospital School (2026)
- Census of Ireland 1901 and 1911, and Census of Population 1926, National Archives of Ireland. Counts compiled by surnames.ie from the irishcensus.com transcription (dataset 20260831130351). 1926 data © National Archives of Ireland, CC BY 4.0.
How we compile these figures: methodology.