- 1. English: patronymic from the personal name Will.
Scottish and northern English: from the medieval
personal name Will, a short form of William, or
from some other medieval personal names with this first
element, for example Wilbert or Willard. 2. English:
topographic name for someone who lived by a spring or
stream, Middle English wille (from wiell(a),
West Saxon form of Old English well(a) ‘spring’).
The surname is found predominantly in the south and
southwestern parts of the country. 3. German: from a
short form of any of the various Germanic personal names
beginning with wil ‘will’, ‘desire’ Source
|
