WESTMORLAND
Westmorland is a surname of English origin that finds its roots in the former county of the same name, situated in the north‑west of England. The place name itself derives from the Old English words west meaning “west” and mor meaning “moor” or “marsh”, together with land, so that the term literally denotes a western moorland.
As a locational surname it originally identified a person who had migrated from that region, typically to seek employment elsewhere, and who was consequently known by the name of their birthplace. Such surnames developed in the Middle Ages when individuals leaving their homes were easiest to recognise by the place they had come from.
The earliest documentary evidence of the name appears in the mid‑13th century. A record dated 1242, taken from the Assize Rolls of Durham, names Richard de Westmerland as a witness. The spelling of the name at that time was Westmerland, a variation that would later evolve into Westmorland and other forms such as Westmoreland.
Throughout the early modern period the surname was predominantly found in northern England, especially around the borders of Yorkshire and Cumbria. Parish registers from the 18th century document marriages such as that of Thomas Westmoreland to Mary Westmoreland on 16 February 1714 at Milburn, and of John Westmoreland to Elizabeth Peacock on 3 December 1747 at Warcop. These entries illustrate the concentration of families bearing the name in the local area.
Variations of the surname have arisen over time due to differences in spelling, pronunciation and transcription. Common variants include Westmoreland, Westmureland, Westmereland, Westmeareland and Westmartland. Less frequently seen forms such as Westmorelond, Westmerelond and Westmoorelond also appear in historical documents. In some records the name is prefixed with the archaic preposition at, giving variants such as at Westmorland or a shortened form Westmor. These differences reflect the lack of standardised spelling before the 19th century.
The surname remains primarily associated with the western part of England. In contemporary statistics it is uncommon; in the United Kingdom fewer than one in five hundred people bear the name, whereas in North America it is more frequent, estimating around one in eleven thousand individuals. The name has travelled to other continents, notably Australia and the United States, carried by emigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Notable bearers of the surname include the actor Charles Westmoreland of Shropshire and the comedian Clive Westmoreland. Both men's work has helped maintain public awareness of the name, even though the surname itself is rooted in a historical county that ceased to exist as a unitary authority in 1974, following the Local Government Act of 1972.
In summary, the surname Westmorland is a well-established English locational name that derives from the moorland of the same name. Its early appearance in legal records, its concentration in northern England, and its persistence through the centuries testify to its durable place in British onomastic history.
Typical given names associated with the Westmorland surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Anthony
- David
- Ian
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Phil
- Robert
Female
- Barbara
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gail
- Jane
- Joanne
- Julie
- Lesley
- Lisa
- Nicola
- Sarah
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 Westmorland in...
Braille
⠺⠑⠎⠞⠍⠕⠗⠇⠁⠝⠙
Morse
.--....------.-..-...--.-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 373 people named Westmorland in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named Westmorland.
Famous people named Westmorland
- Percy Thuillier Westmorland - Military officer (1863 to 1929)
- Charles Henry Westmorland - General (1856 to 1916)
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.