The associated coat of arms for this name are recorded in J.B Rietstaps Armorial General. Illustrated by V & H.V Rolland's. This Monumental work took 23 years to complete and 85,000 coats of Arms are included in this work. (Willenberger). This German surname of WILLENBORG was originally from the Norman form of an Old French personal name, composed of the Germanic element WIL (will, desire). The name was introduced into England at the time of the Norman Conquest of 1066, and within a very short period it became the most popular given name in England, in the form WILLIAM, no doubt in honour of the Conqueror himself. The name has also enjoyed considerable popularity in Germany as WILHELM, France as GUILLAUME, Spain as GUILLERMO and Italy as GUGLIELMO, with numerous other variants which include WELLIAM, GILLHAM, WILLHAUME, WILLEME, WILLAME, GILLUM, GUILHEM, WILLMET, VUILLAUME and WILM to name but a few. Surnames which were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have the same meaning in many languages. The court of Charlemagne (Charles the Great, king of the Franks (742-814) was Christian and Latin speaking). The vernacular was the Frankish dialect of Old High German, and the personal names in use were Germanic and vernacular. These names were adopted in many parts of northwest Europe, particularly among the noble ruling classes. Hereditary surnames were found in Germany in the second half of the 12th century - a little later than in England and France. It was about the 16th century that they became stabilized. German or Teutonic heraldry extended its sphere of influence over central Europe and spread into Scandinavia. It is most notable for its design and treatment of crests, most of which reflect the arms in the charge or tinctures (colours) or both, which is unknown in British heraldry. Teutonic Europe assembled many arms on a single shield, each bearing its corresponding crest on a helmet. The lion depicted in the arms is the noblest of all wild beasts which is made to be the emblem of strength and valour, and is on that account the most frequently borne in Coat-Armour. |
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