Westmoreland Family History

English (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire): habitational name from the former region or county of Westmorland. The placename is recorded as Westmoringa land c. 1150 and means ‘the land of the people living west of the moors’ (i.e. the Pennines).

It derives from Old English west, meaning ‘west’ or ‘western’, combined with mōr, which translates to ‘moor’. This reflects the geographical features of the area, pointing to its location relative to the moorlands.

The name also includes the groupname suffix -ingas (genitive -inga-), indicating a people or population, further emphasizing the sense of community linked to the land.

Finally, the term concludes with land, meaning ‘land’, which collectively captures the essence of Westmorland as a region inhabited by those residing to the west of the moors.

This etymology provides insight into the historical and linguistic roots of place names in England, particularly in relation to geographic and demographic factors.