# Patronymica Cornu-Britannica/W

W.
WADDER. See Gwihtor.
WADDON. Perhaps the same name as Vodden, Voddon, q. v.
WARLEGGON, WORLEGAN. From Warlegon, a parish and village in West hundred, which some derive from war-le-gan, upon the down.
WARN, WARNE, WEARNE. From warne, for guernen, an alder-tree. According to Lower, Warne is a curt pronunciation of Warren.
WAVIS, WAVISH. See Gwavis.
WEAKS, WEEKES, WEEKS. There was a Weekes family, whose habitat was the neighbourhood of Hastings; but these names may sometimes be from Week St. Mary. D. Gilbert says Week means "lit. sweet, an epithet ​frequently applied to female saints;" and he renders St. Mary Week, "sweet or beloved St. Mary." But Week is more probably from wick, quik, a village.
WEALE, WHEAL, WHEEL, WHILE. From wheal, huél, a work, i. e., a mine; or from some local name compounded thereof: as Wheal Whidden in Kea; Whealancarn, the rocky work or mine; Whealancoats, the work in the wood; Whealanvor, the work by the wayside, or the great work or mine; Whealreath, the red work, or the open work or mine; Whealrose (in St. Agnes), the mine in the vale. There are also Wheal Mary, Wheal Jewell, Wheal Fortune, &c.
WEARNE. See Warn.
WEDLOCK. See Vallack.
WEEKES, WEEKS. See Weaks.
WENDON. The same name as Wendyn, q. v.; or from Wendron, formerly Gwendron, in Kerrier hundred; from wen-, gwen-dron, the white hill.
WENDYN. A family mentioned by Gilbert as being from Compton Gifford in Devon; but perhaps originally of Cornish origin; from wyn-din, the white hill.
WENMOTH, WENTMOUTH. From wen-mot, the white place.
WENSENT. A Cornish form of Vincent.
WETTER. See Gwiator.
WETTON. When of Cornish origin, from gueth-don, the hill of rush.
WHEAL. See Weale.
WHEAR, WHEARE. From veor, great.
WHEEL. See Weale.
​WHETTER. See Gwiator.
WHIDDEN. See Gwin.
WHILE. See Weale.
WICKETT. From wicket, a little village; diminutive or wick. Pryce gives Wicket as the name of a place in St. Agnes.
WIDDEN. See Gwin.
WINN, WYNN, WYNNE. From Corn. gwyn (W. id.), white.
WINNINCKETT, WININCKETT. From winnick-coet, the marsh in the wood; or winnick-etha, the great marsh.
WINNOW, anc. De ST. WINNOW. From the barton and manor of St. Winnow or St. Winow in West hundred; or from Trewinnow in Creed, the dwelling on the moors (winnick, a marsh). According to Tonkin, the tutelar saint of the parish of St. Winow was St. Winnocus (the St. Vinoc of Moreri), a native of Armorica.
WINSOR. From Winsor in Cubert, or Winsor in Pelynt; which Pryce renders the marsh frequented by heath-cocks, grouse, or turkeys (win-zar).
WINTER. See Wintour.
WINTOUR, WINTER, WYNTER. From Gwinter in St. Keverne; from gwyn-dour, the white or fair water; or gwin-drea, the white town. Hence the surnames Vinter, Finter.
WINWICK. Probably from Winnick in Lanreath; from winnick, a marsh, a fenny or moorish place. The family are now extinct, except in the female line. It is said that the slang word "winwicked" (pronounced in the West winnicked), used in Cornwall to denote that one has been overreached, arose from the circumstance that the last ​male representative of this family was, from tradition, celebrated for making good bargains, and that consequently everybody in Cornwall knows what is meant when the question is asked, "Have you been winnicked?" i. e.
WITHEL, WITHELL. See Withiel.
WITHERICK. From bither-ick, the meadow place.
WITHEY, WITHY. From gwyth, a tree; or gwyth-y, the woody stream. There is a place called Withedon in Jacobstow.
WITHIEL. From Withiel in Pider hundred, which, according to Hals, signifies a place of trees, which it was formerly (withen, a tree). He says it was so called because the church is situated upon the manor of Withell Goose, i. e., Tree Wood. Withel, Withell, Withyel, would seem to be the same name.
WOLVEDON. From the barton of Wolvedon in Probus, which Borlase calls Wolveson, alias Golden; from gol-vidn, the holy meadow; or wolla-vidn, the lower meadow.
WONNACOTT, WONOCOTT. From woon-coit, the lower down.
WOON. From wôn, woon, goon, a down or common. Woon is the name of places in Luxulion and Roche.
WORDEN. From wor-den, upon the hill; veor-den, the great hill; or warth-den, the high hill.
WORLEGAN. See Warleggon.
WORTH. A family of this name is said to be descended from the Worths in Devon or Somerset; but the Cornish family may derive their name from worth, high.
WREN. When of Cornish origin, from rhŷn, a hill; or it may be an abbreviation of Trewren.
WROATH. This name, unless corrupted from the ​London name Roworth, Rowarth, may be from wrath, a giant; whence Wrath's Hole in St. Agnes. There is, however, a place named Roath in Wales, in Kibbor hundred; perhaps from rhâth, a smooth eminence, mound, or hill.
WYNHALL. From wyn-hâl, white hall; or wyn-hâl, -hale, white moor.
WYNN, WYNNE. See Winn.
WYNNINCK. From Winnick in Lanreath; from winnick, a marsh.
WYNTER. See Wintour.
This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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