Weller Family History

English (Surrey, Sussex, and Kent): topographic name for someone who lived by a spring, stream, or man-made well, from Middle English weller, willer, an agent derivative of Middle English welle (in southern England) and wille (in south western England), from Old English wella, well(e), wiella, wielle, willa, wyll(a), wylle. This type of name, a topographic term + -er, is particularly typical of Sussex and its neigbouring counties.

English: occupational name for someone who casts metal or who boils salt, from Middle English weller, willer, a derivative with -er of Old English wellan, wiellan ‘to boil’. Compare 5 below.

North German: variant of Welle , cognate with 1 above.

German: from an agent derivative of Middle High German wëllen ‘to roll, revolve, or smear’, hence an occupational name, for example for someone who made wattle and daub walls. See Welle 2.

German: from Middle High German wëllen ‘to cause to boil or simmer’, hence a metonymic occupational name for a smelter, cook, or the like.

German: from Middle High German wëlle ‘roll, bale’, hence a metonymic occupational name for someone who sold cloth or wool, for example.