WHEELER
Wheeler is an English surname of occupational origin, denoting an ancestral association with the craft of wheel‑making. The name derives from the Middle English word whele, itself a descendant of the pre‑7th‑century Old English terms hweogol or hweol, both meaning “wheel”. In medieval society the wheelwright occupied a vital position, supplying wheels for carts, wagons and for various manufacturing processes such as spinning.
The surname is recorded in a variety of orthographic forms, including Wheeler, Wheeller, Wheler, Whealler, Whealer, Wayler, Whyler and Whaler. The most common contemporary spelling is Wheeler. Early documentary evidence shows the name in use during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Notable examples include John le Whelare in the Worcestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1275, Hugh le Welere in the Cambridgeshire Hundred Rolls of 1279, Thomas le Wegheler in the Sussex Feet of Fines of 1284, Stephen le Whelere in the Essex Feet of Fines of 1317 and Gilbert Whyler in the Surrey pipe rolls of 1351. The earliest known occurrence is the entry for Roger le Weweler in the Sussex occupation lists of 1249, dating from the reign of King Henry III.
In later centuries the surname spread beyond its occupational roots. A prominent bearer was Sir Hugh Massy Wheeler (1789‑1857), who attained the rank of major‑general in the Indian Army before his death during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The persistence of the name into the modern era reflects both the durability of occupational surnames in the British Isles and the historical importance of the wheelwright’s trade in medieval England.
Typical given names associated with the Wheeler surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Waaler
- Wahler
- Wahlers
- Wailer
- Waler
- Walers
- Wallar
- Waller
- Wallers
- Wallier
- Wallor
- Wayler
- Waylor
- Wealer
- Weeler
- Weeller
- Wehler
- Weiler
- Weiller
- Weler
- Wellar
- Weller
- Wellers
- Wellery
- Wellor
- Weyler
- Whaler
- Whaller
- Whealer
- Whealler
- Wheeeler
- Wheela
- Wheelar
- Wheele
- Wheelers
- Wheeller
- Wheelor
- Wheiler
- Whelar
- Whelaw
- Wheler
- Whellar
- Wheller
- Whellier
- Whellor
- Whieler
- Wieler
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Wheeler in...
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Wheeler are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Toffypop.
There are approximately 31,532 people named Wheeler in the UK. That makes it the 251st most common surname in Britain. Around 484 in a million people in Britain are named Wheeler.
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 Wheeler
- David Wheeler - Actor
- Harriet Wheeler - Singer
- Mortimer Wheeler - Archaeologist (1890 to 1976)
- George Dryden Wheeler Jr. - Actor and director (1892 to 1957)
- Maggie Wheeler - Actress
- Caron Wheeler - Singer
- David Wheeler - Computer scientist (1927 to 2004)
- Heather Wheeler - Politician
- Alison Wheeler - Singer
- Nicola Wheeler - Actress
- Nicholas Wheeler - Businessman
- David Wheeler - Football player
- Jacquetta Wheeler - Model
- Tim Wheeler - Northern Irish singer
- Roger Wheeler - Army general
- Peter Wheeler - Rugby union player
- Charles Wheeler - Sculptor (1892 to 1974)
- Tessa Wheeler - Archaeologist (1893 to 1936)
- Stuart Wheeler - Businessman and politician
- Jo Wheeler - Weather forecaster
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.