Sons of the warriors
The vast majority of law-abiding and peace loving Wilsons scattered across the globe may be surprised to learn of not only the warlike roots of their surname, but of how a significant number of its bearers figured in some of the most notorious and bloody incidents in Scotland’s turbulent history.
The name is a derivative of William, under its popular diminutive of Will. William itself is from the Old Gennan ‘Wilhelm’ or ‘Willihelm’, with ‘will’ denoting the fierce dedication required to overcome ones foes in battle, while ‘helm’ refers to an armoured ‘helmet.’
While the surname Williamson refers to ‘son of William’ , Wilson refers to ‘son of Will’ and both William and Will became popular names following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 under the leadership of the mighty William, Duke of Normandy.