WEATHERS
Weathers is an English surname of Anglo‑Saxon provenance. It derives from the Old English word wether, which referred to a castrated ram or, by extension, a male sheep. In the medieval period the term was used occupationally to describe a shepherd or someone who attended to sheep. The name was originally applied as a nickname to a person who resembled a wether in character – for example, someone who possessed a calm or docile temperament – before eventually becoming hereditary and passed from father to son.
The surname first occurs in documentary evidence from the late twelfth century. The earliest recorded instance is Almer Wether, dated 1180 in the Pipe Rolls of Kent, during the reign of King Henry II. In the early fourteenth century the name appears in the Subsidy Tax Rolls of Essex, where a William le Wether is listed in 1327. Subsequent evidence comes from London church registers: an Elizabeth Withers was christened on 28 January 1550 at St. Martin Orgar Eastcheap, and a marriage involving an Elizabeth Weathers and Thomas Green is recorded on 5 November 1714 at St. Dunstan’s Stepney.
Variations of the surname include Weather, Whether, Wither, Wether, Withers, and as a patronymic it appears in forms such as Weathers, Wethers, and Withers. The spelling Wether was the form most commonly used in medieval England, while the addition of the final s in forms such as Weathers became more widespread in later centuries.
In modern times the name remains relatively uncommon but is primarily found in the United Kingdom and to a lesser extent in the United States. Within the UK it occurs in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, with a modest concentration in the southern counties. In the United States the surname is recorded in several states, notably Georgia, Texas and Alabama, although it does not reach the commonality of any widely recognised family name.
It should be noted that the surname has no etymological connection to meteorological phenomena or the word weather, despite the visual similarity of the spellings. The persistent historical record emphasises the pastoral origin of the name rather than any link to weather prediction or observation.
Typical given names associated with the Weathers surname
Male
- Carl
- Chris
- Christopher
- David
- Gordon
- James
- John
- Mark
- Martin
- Matthew
- Paul
- Richard
- Timothy
Female
- Bryony
- Charlotte
- Dawn
- Debbie
- Emily
- Erica
- Gail
- Gemma
- Helen
- Joan
- Linda
- Marie
- Mary
- Rebecca
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Withers
- Waters
- Waiters
- Wathers
- Wather
- Weather
- Wathern
- Weathered
- Weathersbee
- Weathersby
- Weatherseed
- Weathersil
- Weatherson
- Weithers
- Wether
- Wethers
- Wethersby
- Wetherson
- Wheather
- Watherson
- Weater
- Weatheral
- Weatherall
- Weatherbed
- Weatherbee
- Weatherbey
- Weatherby
- Weatherell
- Weatherer
- Weatherett
- Weatherhog
- Weatheril
- Weatherill
- Weatherit
- Weatheritt
- Weatherley
- Weatherlt
- Weatherly
- Weatherston
- Weatherup
- Wethered
- Wethersbee
- Wethersett
- Wetherside
- Wetters
- Wothers
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Weathers in...
Braille
⠺⠑⠁⠞⠓⠑⠗⠎
Morse
.--..--......-....
Semaphore
There are approximately 209 people named Weathers in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around three in a million people in Britain are named Weathers.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Weathers
- Carl Weathers - Actor; Former American Football Player
- John Weathers - Welsh 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.