Witherspoon Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Witherspoon last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Witherspoon last name
Meaning of the Witherspoon last name: sheep pasture. Witherspoon is a Scottish surname from a place name meaning a pasture for wether sheep. It is found in Renfrewshire and Ulster. John Witherspoon signed the Declaration of Independence, and the actress Reese Witherspoon carries this last name. It is common in Ulster.
Arms associated with the Witherspoon name
Coats of arms associated with the Witherspoon surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full Witherspoon family history
This is only a glimpse of the Witherspoon story. The full Witherspoon history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Witherspoon coat of arms. Get the full Witherspoon report.
Witherspoon name FAQ
What does the Witherspoon name mean?
Sheep pasture. Common variants include Wotherspoon.
Where does the Witherspoon surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Witherspoon coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Witherspoon coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).