Wellesley Name Origin and Family Crest

Looking for a Wellesley coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours.

What Wellesley means

Spellings drift, and Wellesley is where Wesley drifted for some families. The family name meaning is “west clearing”, the same as for Wesley.

Before spelling was fixed, Wesley was also written Wellesley. Local scribes, dialects and emigration all left their mark on how the name was written. You may also find the name written Westley.

Get the complete Wellesley report, with a museum-style coat of arms.