Etymology: Wyles Family Name
Below is a generic history (provided by House of Names) associated with the surnames 'Wyles', 'Willes', 'Weyllas' and 'Wiles', that assumes all these names are simply variants of one another, that have emerged from a common ancestry or group of ancestors - even though no concrete evidence of this assertion is given. My own research suggests that many variants of the name are in fact unrelated, and do not share a common history. Although 'Wyles' is sometimes mistakenly spelt 'Wiles' (and vice versa), this does not mean the two names are the same. I have, for instance, discussed the Duddington history with people surnamed 'Wiles' in the UK, who have no historical connection whatsoever to either the Northamptonshire area in general, or the Duddington area in particular. Furthermore, I have travelled to Scotland to research old military records to see the name of people surnamed 'Wyles' who lived in the border areas between England and Scotland (and who served and died in Scottish regiments during WWI), and was told of a population of 'Wyles' people living on the Isle of Lewis, etc. Neither group has any known connection to the other - or to Duddington for that matter. In Kent, in the southern UK, there exists a family surnamed 'Wyles' who are believed to be the descendants of Jutes. Interestingly, I have seen a document recording the names of prominent officers and soldiers who fought with English King Henry V at the Battle of Agincourt (France) in 1415, and amongst them were archers named 'Wyles'.
The Wyles presence in the Duddington area is unique, as it can be dated back to at least the early 16th century - specifically to 1520 - but these dates are purely symbolic as they represent a sparse written evidence of a very long physical presence. Recent research, for instance, shows people named 'Wyles' living in the Lincolnshire area dating back to 1344, etc. Considering the length of time of the Wyles presence in the general area, two possibilities present themselves. The first is that a single man, or a group bearing the surname Wyles moved into the area from elsewhere. This means the name was brought from another place and could have any number of meanings - including the one provided below - as that of an eel trapper and the trickery required to build clever devices to do the job - but I would like to suggest a different meaning for the Wyles surname associated with Duddington. As evidence stands at the moment, I think it is likely (until proven otherwise) that the Wyles surname of Duddington is unique to the area, and indeed directly associated with the geography of that area.
There are two theories surrounding the idea that the 'Wyles' name derived from the Duddington area, and each is related to the River Welland. The first involves the fact that the Duddington area is referred to in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Wilebroc', (later 'Wylebroke') which translates as the area where 'willow trees line the bank of the river' - this is a description of the River Welland. As the River Welland flows through the western edge of Duddington, a group of people who lived by it, could have adopted the name 'Wylies' - meaning something like 'the people of the river and the willows' - which was eventually shortened to 'Wyles'. The second theory relates to the Saxon term for the River Welland, which is 'Weolud'. This refers to the 'river that flows through the good land' - with 'Weo' equalling 'good', and 'lud' equalling land. In German, when the letters 'eo', appear together, they represent the letter 'y' This explains why the River Welland is sometimes spelt 'Wylland'. Again, people who live by the Welland could have taken the name 'Wyl' (meaning 'good') out of respect for the river which sustained their lives - which eventually became 'Wyles'. In this sense the etymology of the Duddington surname; 'Wyles' could be Saxon for 'Good', or 'Good People', and might have its roots in ancient Briton culture prior to the arrival of the Saxons.
A third theory which has been suggested to me, is that the surname 'Wyles' derives from the Viking word for 'Earl' (or 'Jarl'), and that in Scotland, there are many people who carry this name living in and around the area of the Kingdom of Fife - once a major Pictish civilisation - and on the Isle of Lewis. In Scottish military records, I have also read the names of many men carrying the surname 'Wyles' who died fighting in the kilted Scottish regiment entitled the 'Seaforth Highlanders' during WWI (see picture below). If this surname in Scotland is directly linked to the Wyles family of Duddington, it would mean that our ancestors were probably Viking-Pictish Scots who migrated into England at some point in their history. Many of our ancestors were named 'Robert' and this is known to have been a prominent Scottish name at various points in that country's long and esteemed history. Another possibility is that just as Vikings landed in Scotland, so did they land in the Duddington area - implying that the Viking name/rank 'Earl' could well have been transliterated into English as 'Wyles' in Scotland and England either at the sametime, or at different times, with the Viking ethnic group being the common denominator. What gives a certain credence to this Viking theory is that I carry the E3B patriarchal line of DNA inherited from my father - and Professor Sykes of Oxford University has stated that E3B, although not common in the UK, has been found in people of Viking descent.
As an aside, when in Scotland on a research trip around 2010, I was also told that the 'Wyles' surname is actually the older way of spelling 'Wallace', and the more correct Celtic way of spelling of it. The modern 'Wallace' is contentious as it probably doesn't accurately reflect how the great Scottish hero 'William Wallace' spelt his name. The apparent truth of this is further indicated by the fact that Scottish people generally pronounce my surname as 'Wy-les' and not as the more usual English habit of 'Whiles', etc. I have added other articles on this site which investigate this issue in a much greater depth.
Adrian Peter Wyles (28.10.14)
Sutton - London
The Wyles presence in the Duddington area is unique, as it can be dated back to at least the early 16th century - specifically to 1520 - but these dates are purely symbolic as they represent a sparse written evidence of a very long physical presence. Recent research, for instance, shows people named 'Wyles' living in the Lincolnshire area dating back to 1344, etc. Considering the length of time of the Wyles presence in the general area, two possibilities present themselves. The first is that a single man, or a group bearing the surname Wyles moved into the area from elsewhere. This means the name was brought from another place and could have any number of meanings - including the one provided below - as that of an eel trapper and the trickery required to build clever devices to do the job - but I would like to suggest a different meaning for the Wyles surname associated with Duddington. As evidence stands at the moment, I think it is likely (until proven otherwise) that the Wyles surname of Duddington is unique to the area, and indeed directly associated with the geography of that area.
There are two theories surrounding the idea that the 'Wyles' name derived from the Duddington area, and each is related to the River Welland. The first involves the fact that the Duddington area is referred to in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Wilebroc', (later 'Wylebroke') which translates as the area where 'willow trees line the bank of the river' - this is a description of the River Welland. As the River Welland flows through the western edge of Duddington, a group of people who lived by it, could have adopted the name 'Wylies' - meaning something like 'the people of the river and the willows' - which was eventually shortened to 'Wyles'. The second theory relates to the Saxon term for the River Welland, which is 'Weolud'. This refers to the 'river that flows through the good land' - with 'Weo' equalling 'good', and 'lud' equalling land. In German, when the letters 'eo', appear together, they represent the letter 'y' This explains why the River Welland is sometimes spelt 'Wylland'. Again, people who live by the Welland could have taken the name 'Wyl' (meaning 'good') out of respect for the river which sustained their lives - which eventually became 'Wyles'. In this sense the etymology of the Duddington surname; 'Wyles' could be Saxon for 'Good', or 'Good People', and might have its roots in ancient Briton culture prior to the arrival of the Saxons.
A third theory which has been suggested to me, is that the surname 'Wyles' derives from the Viking word for 'Earl' (or 'Jarl'), and that in Scotland, there are many people who carry this name living in and around the area of the Kingdom of Fife - once a major Pictish civilisation - and on the Isle of Lewis. In Scottish military records, I have also read the names of many men carrying the surname 'Wyles' who died fighting in the kilted Scottish regiment entitled the 'Seaforth Highlanders' during WWI (see picture below). If this surname in Scotland is directly linked to the Wyles family of Duddington, it would mean that our ancestors were probably Viking-Pictish Scots who migrated into England at some point in their history. Many of our ancestors were named 'Robert' and this is known to have been a prominent Scottish name at various points in that country's long and esteemed history. Another possibility is that just as Vikings landed in Scotland, so did they land in the Duddington area - implying that the Viking name/rank 'Earl' could well have been transliterated into English as 'Wyles' in Scotland and England either at the sametime, or at different times, with the Viking ethnic group being the common denominator. What gives a certain credence to this Viking theory is that I carry the E3B patriarchal line of DNA inherited from my father - and Professor Sykes of Oxford University has stated that E3B, although not common in the UK, has been found in people of Viking descent.
As an aside, when in Scotland on a research trip around 2010, I was also told that the 'Wyles' surname is actually the older way of spelling 'Wallace', and the more correct Celtic way of spelling of it. The modern 'Wallace' is contentious as it probably doesn't accurately reflect how the great Scottish hero 'William Wallace' spelt his name. The apparent truth of this is further indicated by the fact that Scottish people generally pronounce my surname as 'Wy-les' and not as the more usual English habit of 'Whiles', etc. I have added other articles on this site which investigate this issue in a much greater depth.
Adrian Peter Wyles (28.10.14)
Sutton - London