Wheeler Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Wheeler Family History

Wheeler Family History

The ancient origin of the name Wheeler was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Wheeler is an occupational name, taken from someone who made wheels. Variants of the name include Wheeller, Whaler, Wailer, Wayler, Wyler and Wheelwright. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout these islands. Examples of such are a Hugh le Welere, County Cambridgeshire, and a Walter Welwryhte, County Essex, who were recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273. A Robert le Whelere was recorded in the Calendarium Rotulorum Originalium in the fourteenth century. The name is very popular in the Isle of Wight, and on the mainland it is concentrated in Southern England. In Ireland the name Wheeler has existed since 1603 when John Wheeler was the Dean of Christchurch in Dublin. Since that time the name has become well established in Counties Kilkenny and Limerick.The Wheeler family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Wheeler descendants.