Wheeler Name Study

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About the Project

The Wheeler Name Study project serves as a collaborative platform to collect information on the Wheeler name. The hope is that other researchers like you will join the study to help make it a valuable reference point for other genealogists who are researching or have an interest in the Wheeler name.

As a One Name Study, this project is not limited to persons who are related biologically. Individual studies can be used to branch out the research into specific methods and areas of interest, such as geographically (England Wheeler's), by time period (18th Century Wheeler's), or by topic (Wheeler DNA, Wheeler Occupations, Wheeler Statistics). These studies may also include a number of family branches which have no immediate link with each other. Some researchers may even be motivated to go beyond the profile identification and research stage to compile fully sourced, single-family histories of some of the families they discover through this name study project.

Also see the related surnames and surname variants.

How to Join

To join the Wheeler Name Study, first start out by browsing our current research pages to see if there is a specific study ongoing that fits your interests. If so, feel free to add your name to the Membership list below, post an introduction comment on the specific team page, and then dive right in!

If a research page does not yet exist for your particular area of interest, please contact the Name Study Coordinator: Name for assistance.

... ... ... is a member of the Wheeler Name Study Project.

Once you are ready to go, you can also show your project affiliation with the ONS Member Sticker:

Research Pages

Here are some of the current research pages included in the study. I'll be working on them, and could use your help!

Membership

• Mildred (Wheeler) Gillett
• Elaine Martzen

Related Surnames and Surname Variants

• None Included

Origin of the Wheeler Name

If one does a cursory google search of the Wheeler name, they might be lead to believe the name Wheeler refers to an occupation, that of a maker of wheels. However, the Wheeler name has a much more rich and meaningful beginning than a person who made wheels. In his book The Genealogy of the Wheeler Family (Washington, D.C., 1919) William Wheeler describes the beginnings of the Wheeler name as follows:^[1]

Away back in the days of the Teutons, there was among them in one of their communities a great giant of a man noted far his bravery and fearlessness as a warrior, who, "because of the good fortune which seemed always with him in his daring exploits, his neighbors called the "wela hari" or "Welhar - the lucky warrior. When this personage lived I know not "^[2]

In his book, The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family in America (American College of Genealogy, Boston, Massachusetts, 1914), Albert Wheeler provides a more academic look at the origin of the name, The story told by William Wheeler is notable when looking at Albert Wheelers analysis of the early spelling "Wielher."

"The name first appears in history in the eighth century, when one of the Saxon chieftains is recorded as bearing the name "Wielher". . . [which is] "a compound of two Anglo-Saxon words "wel" or " wiel" meaning "prosperous" or "fortunate," from which derivation the modem word "weaP" and "wealth" may be traced; and the Anglo- Saxon word "hari" or "heri" a warrior, a root traceable in the modern word "hero." The present spelling of the family name "Wheeler" therefore, is a spelling of words which in their modem form would be "Weal-Hero" or in the Anglo-Saxon words "wel-hari." The meaning of the family name, therefore, is clearly "the lucky warrior," or "the prosperous hero."^[3]

Each of the Wheeler authors take a different approach to describing the early origins of the Wheeler name. Both however, agree the Wheeler name owes its origin, not to a mere maker of wheels but instead to a great giant of a man, know as the Lucky Warrior.

Both Wheeler authors present a picture of colonial American with many Wheeler families.

[Wheeler families] were among the early emigrants to this country [and] were exceedingly numerous. They settled principally in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Virginia. "Between 1650 and 1680," says Shattuck, "there were in Concord, Mass., alone, thirty distinct Wheeler families." And Parmer records as an interesting fact that twenty-six of the name had graduated from New England colleges in 1826.^[4]

Albert Wheeler notes that in Colonial records, the variations in spelling the old "Wel-hari" name are as follows: Weler and Weeler; Wheler, Whelir and Whelor; Whaler(which has nothing to do with whaling) and Whalor; Wheef (probably a misspelling), Wheelar and Wheeler; Whealer and Whealor; Wheller, and Wheter (which is probably a misspelling).^[5]

Both sources suggest that while there were many Wheeler names, the families were not all related. Albert Wheeler makes a final observation about the origin of the Wheeler name, and more importantly the people who bore the name:

Bearers of any of the above names, however, may be reasonably sure of tracing back their ancestry to a Teutonic origin, and may rightfully think of their forbears as having been men and women of a rugged warlike race, fortunate upon the battle-field and prosperous upon their home estates, whose principal characteristic in those semi-barbaric times was that of solid worth. To this, the elapsing centuries have added honor and renown in many fields, and in America it is doubtful if any family can show a loftier standard or a more untarnished shield that can that one whose members, scattered throughout every State in the union, bear the name of "Wheeler"

The rich history of the Wheeler name and how its evolved over time may be demonstrated here on Wiki Tree by tracing the family of Thomas Wheeler. One can trace Thomas descendants forward to some of the first Wheeler families in America. However, one can also start at the profile of Thomas in the year 1561 and journey back in time through 25 generations of Wheeler families and arrive in the year 819 at the profile of Thomas B Wielher. While many of the profiles lack sources, this long line of profiles demonstrates some possible interesting changes in the Wheeler name over the years. This line is highlighted not for its genealogy accuracy but as an example of how the Wheeler name may have evolved over time.

Wheeler Immigrants to America

Some of the earliest Wheeler families in America where

• Henry Wheeler - Was born 4 Sep 1604 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, , England and had a son born in Virginia in 1627. He died 1693 in Isle of Wight, Virginia, United States.
• Thomas Wheeler - born in 1602, in England. He first appears in 1635, in Lynn, Massachusetts Colony, when he was elected constable and held other official positions while he live there (b.15 Mar 1602 in Hampshire England to d. 6 Mar 1686 in No. Stonington, New London, Connecticut)
• Capt, Thomas Wheeler - He may nave come to America with the Rev. John Jones Company, in the ship Defiance, which landed in New England Oct. 3, 1635, with his wife, children and most probably some grandchildren. He was in Concord as early as April 17, 1636- 7, when he was made freeman there.(b. 8 Apr 1620 in Bedfordshire, England and 26 Nov 1672 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, United States)
• Moses Wheeler - sailed from London in 1638, and settled in the New Haven colony. (b.1598 in Kent, England to d. 15 Jan 1698 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA)
• George Wheeler - George Wheeler came to Concord [Middlesex County,Massachusetts Bay Colony] about the year 1638 with his wife Katherine and several children (b.25 Mar 1605 in Wharley, Cranfield, Bedfordshire to d. 2 Jun 1687 in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts)
• Isaac Wheeler (b. 13 Sep 1607 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England to d. 1712 in Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA)
• John Wheeler - John arrived in Maryland in January, 1652, on the ship "Thomas and John", under the command of Captain William Mitche (b, before 22 Jan 1630 in Wiltshire/Bedfordshire, England to d. before 8 Jan 1694 in Charles Co., MD)
• William Wheeler (b. 30 Jan 1630 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England to d. 31 Dec 1683 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts)

The Many Men Named Thomas in Colonial Connecticut

This section is under construction Thomas Bentley was one of the first Wheeler names to appear in America. Thomas Wheeler whose name appear first in Massachusetts in 1635 and Capt, Thomas Wheeler believed to have come to America in 1635 and was in Connecticut in April 1636. The following are some Thomas Wheeler profiles found in early colonial America (its not a complete list and changes as merges take place or new information is discovered)

1. Thomas, "The Elder" was born 1561 in Cranfield, died 1635 Cranfield. While this Thomas only lived in England, his oldest son Thomas and his youngest son Thomas (of 2 different wives) both emigrated to Connecticut. Most of his children ended up emigrating to (or through) Massachusetts and Connecticut (both Thomases, Anne, Elizabeth, Susannah, Joseph, Timothy, Ephraim and possibly Mary were all emigrants).
   1. Thomas the oldest son was born 1591 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. England and died on 16 Jul 1654 in Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut. He married Ann (Halsey) Wheeler on 5 May 1613 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. They also had a son named Thomas
      1. Thomas Wheeler (son of Wheeler-197) born 8 Dec 1621 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire died 24 Dec 1704 in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts. He married twice Sarah (Meriam) Wheeler and Sarah (Beers) Wheeler
   2. Thomas born 1620 in Bedfordshire, England and died 1676 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut. Married to Ruth (Wood) Wheeler
2. Thomas of Stonington, CT Born 15 Mar 1602 in Hampshire England and died 6 Mar 1686 in No. Stonington, New London, Connecticut. Married a Mary.
3. Captn Thomas (born 8 Apr 1620 in Bedfordshire, England (parents currently unknown) died 26 Nov 1672 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, United States. He married of Joan (Bryan) Wheeler

Wheeler Sources

• Wheeler, Albert Gallatin The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family in America (American College of Genealogy, Boston, Massachusetts, 1914)
• Wheeler, Daniel Merrick. The Wheeler Family of Rutland, Mass. and Some of Their Ancestors (Pittsfield, Mass., 1924)
• Wheeler, Henry. Genealogy of Some of the Descendants of Obadiah Wheeler of Concord (Franklin P. Rice, 1898)
• Wheeler, William. The Genealogy of the Wheeler Family (Washington, D.C., 1919)
• The Wheeler Families of Old Concord, Massachusetts Compiled by George Tolman in 1908 Revised for editions of 1970 and 1981 and, by Joseph C. Wheeler, for this online edition of 2006. This online edition is complete up to the Joseph's revision, 12 October 2013. available here
• The Wheeler Family of Clermont County Ohio and Lincoln, Middlesex, Norfolk, & Worcester Counties Massachusetts Descendants of Richard Wheeler of Dedham available here
• Wheeler Genealogy; Raymond David Wheeler Vol. 3 (see attached images on this profile)
• Wheeler Family History...Including Descent from Henry Wheeler (c1503-1557) of Cranfield, Bedfordshire authors Raymond David Wheeler, Gordon Boyce Wheeler (see attached images on this profile)

Sources

1. ↑ Wheeler, William. The Genealogy of the Wheeler Family (Washington, D.C., 1919) Page
2. ↑ Wheeler, William: Page
3. ↑ Wheeler, Albert Gallatin The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family in America (American College of Genealogy, Boston, Massachusetts, 1914)Page
4. ↑ Wheeler, William: Page 24.
5. ↑ Wheeler, Albert page xiii