WAKEMAN
Wakeman is an English surname of occupational origin, deriving from the Middle English wakeman, which signifies a watchman or guardian. The name is formed from the Old English verbs wac(i)an meaning to watch or guard, and mann meaning man, thus literally translating to watchman.
In early medieval England the role of a wakeman was a recognised public office; every township maintained a night watch for the protection of its inhabitants and properties. The title was attached to the person responsible for the vigils, and eventually the occupational designation became hereditary in the families which performed the duty.
Evidence of the name’s antiquity can be found in a 1200 entry in the Cartulary of Oseney Abbey in Oxfordshire, where a William Wakeman is recorded during the reign of King John. Further medieval instances include marriages documented in London church registers: the wedding of Elizabeth Wakman and John Andrew on 31 March 1589 in Bermondsey, and that of Edward Wakeman and Katherine Test at St. Gregory by St. Paul on 17 December 1624.
In the Yorkshire borough of Ripon the chief magistrate held the title of Wakeman until 1604, after which the designation was replaced by Mayor. The Wakeman of Ripon supervised a body of wakemen who were required to blow a cow’s horn at nine o’clock nightly; any theft occurring between the horn and sunrise was subject to public fine.
A coat of arms associated with the Wakeman family depicts an ermine saltire wavy on a green shield, with a crest consisting of a lion’s head erased, gold, vomiting flames of fire proper. Such heraldic devices were typical of families whose surnames represented a long-held public office.
The surname is most common in England, ranking 5,658 out of approximately 44,000 surnames, and also appears in Scotland, where it ranks 8,395 out of about 7,000 surnames, and in Ireland, where it is the 4,940th most common name. In the United States the 2000 Census listed Wakeman as the 4,327th most frequent surname, with significant concentrations in California, New York and Texas. The name is also found in Canada, particularly in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta, and in smaller numbers in Germany, Norway and Sweden.
Variant spellings such as Wakman, Wake, Wakeham and Wakemen occur throughout the British Isles; these are direct orthographic evolutions of the original occupational term. The surname also shares place-name associations, for example Wakeman Township in Ohio and Wakeman, Massachusetts, reflecting historic migration patterns.
Given its long history, proven medieval attestations and widespread distribution across English-speaking countries, the surname Wakeman remains a distinguished indicator of an ancestral lineage that once served a vital civic role in guarding communities in early medieval England.
Typical given names associated with the Wakeman surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Alison
- Christine
- Claire
- Donna
- Jane
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Maureen
- Nicola
- Pauline
- Rachel
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Wakeman in...
Braille
⠺⠁⠅⠑⠍⠁⠝
Morse
.--.--.-.--.--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,349 people named Wakeman in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,687th most common surname in Britain. Around 36 in a million people in Britain are named Wakeman.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Wakeman
- Rick Wakeman - Keyboardist, songwriter, television and radio presenter, and author
- Adam Wakeman - Musician
- Oliver Wakeman - Musician
- Alan Wakeman - Musician
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.