Surname Walling - Meaning and Origin

Exploring Genetic Heritage with iGENEA DNA Test: A Personal Journey Unraveling the Walling Surname

Dive into an intriguing journey with the iGENEA DNA test, as I uncover the origins of my unique Walling surname, unraveling distant family connections, and exploring my genetic heritage in this detailed review.

N. Walling

Walling: What does the surname Walling mean?

The last name Walling is of Anglo-Saxon origin and primarily found in the region that encompasses modern-day Britain and Scotland. It is considered a toponymic surname, meaning it is derived from a geographic location or feature. Walling may reference someone who lived or worked near a wall. This could be a significant wall such as a boundary of a city, town, or estate.

In the Old English language, the word "weall" meant wall. Over time, this word was changed to "well" or "walling," thus giving rise to the surname. It was during the era of the Saxons and Normans that surnames began to be used, often based on one's occupation, location, or the name of a patriarch.

The Walling surname dates back to ancient times and is first recorded in East Yorkshire in the 1185 Templar records of that county. It is interesting to note that there are multiple variations of this surname including Wallin, Wallins, Wallings, and Wales. They likely arose based on regional dialects and pronunciation differences. It's important to remember that surname meanings and origins can vary and may have different interpretations based on geographic roots and historical contexts.

Walling: Where does the name Walling come from?

The last name Walling is most common today in the United States, where it can be found in all 50 states. Specifically, Walling is most prevalent in the southeastern United States, especially in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. Texas and Tennessee, in particular, have a significant concentration of people with the Walling last name.

The name is less common outside of the United States, but can be found mainly in the UK and Australia, along with a few other English-speaking countries. Walling is likely of English origin, and was probably brought to North America from England in the 17th century.

The Walling family may have gotten its name from a location, a feature of the landscape, or possibly a trade. Settlers who came to the United States during the colonial years could have named themselves Walling to signify that they were from one of these places. It is also possible that the Walling name is derived from a similar surname, such as Waller or Wallin. It could also be based on the name of a medieval knight – the surname Walling could have emerged from the knight's given name.

The Walling last name has likely been modified throughout the years due to spelling variations, so the frequency of the name in records may underestimate its current popularity. To this day, Walling can be found to be a common surname in the United States—especially in the southeast—and a few other English-speaking countries.

Variations of the surname Walling

The Walling surname is of English origins. The name is derived from when someone lived in a pre-existing or newly built area surrounded by walls. The name is derived from several different spellings of the same word found in English including Walling, Wallinger, Wallin, Wallings, Wallingford, and Wolling.

The Walling name is most commonly found in England and in parts of the United States including Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Oregon. It is a popular name and is used across much of the English-speaking world, with a diverse range of spellings.

The variants of Walling, include spelling alternatives such as Welin, Wallin, Wallington, Wallings, Wellin, Wallen, Willen, Wollin, Wolling, and Wolle. These alternate forms have often arisen due to dialectal changes of the Walling language over time, as well as a result of transcription errors.

In some cases, especially in America, the Wallings surname can be found anglicized or changed to names such as Waller, Wallace, Walters, Waler, Woller, Wells, Wallack, and Wall. The anglicized forms occurred most frequently during the 19th century, when immigrants were adapting to the English language.

The Walling surname is a rare one in some parts of the United States, but is much more common in England. As a result, anglicized variations may be more common in the US, and the spelling of the original Walling name more common in England.

Famous people with the name Walling

• Dwight Walling, American Major League Baseball player
• Elbert Thomas Walling, American Major League Baseball player
• John William Walling, aka Sailor Jack, American actor, writer, producer, and director
• Marc Walling, American actor
• Roy Walling, American Major League Baseball player
• Julia Walling, British sculptor and illustrator
• Bob Walling Jr., American basketball coach
• Frank Walling, American politician
• John Walling, British painter
• Robert Walling, British actor and author
• Chris Walling, American professional golfer
• Mary Walling Blackburn, American visual artist and poet
• Harvey N. Walling, American electrical engineer
• Jordan Walling, British journalist
• Dave Walling, Australian rugby league player
• Jeannie Walling, American motocross rider
• John Walling, English author
• Alan Walling, British powerful commercial photographer
• Sam Walling, English professional footballer
• Cy Walling, American Major League Baseball pitcher

Other surnames

WallinWallis