This was for an INSD challenge at another site.
JOURNALING: According to HouseofNames.com, "The Welsh name Williams is a patronymic surname derived from the personal name William, which is in turn derived from the Old German names Willihelm and Willelm (the Norman French version was Guillaume). Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, William became the most popular personal name in Britain for a time." The family motto is listed as "Ensuivant la verite" (By following the Truth).
SurnameDB.com indicates, "it derives from the personal name "Wilhelm" composed of the elements "wil", meaning "of strong mind", and "helm", translating literally as helmet, but in this context meaning "protection."
According to Ancestry.com, during the 1840 census the Williams family name was found in the U.S. mostly in New York (15%), Pennsylvania (8%), and Ohio (9%). I know my Williams ancestors were in Pennsylvania before moving to Ohio. My ancestors were part of the nearly 1/3 of Williamses who were farmers.
BehindtheName.com lists Williams as the 3rd most common in the U.S. (Smith, my mother's maiden name, is the most common).
CREDITS: KITS: Antiqued Floral Backgrounds AND Shabby Floral Color Overlays 1 by Elizabeth's Market Cross; FONTS: Antiqua Regular and Old English Text
