English
The surname Wailer is of English origin.It was an occupational name for a maker of wheels ( for vehicles or for use in spinning or various other manufacturing processes ).The surname is derived from the Middle English 'whele', meaning wheel; the Old English name was 'hweogol'. The surname thus comes to signify the 'wheel-maker'. This surname representing an occupation of such importance, is naturally found in large numbers.In the Middle Ages in England during the centuries that surnames were becoming hereditary the weaving of coarse cloth was the chief industry. The mainstay of the British farmer was sheep and the country was famed for its wool. From the entire woolen industry in the Middle Ages sprang many surnames,such as;Card,who smoothed the fibers,Spinner,who spun the wool,Spindler made the spindles,Wheeler the spinning wheels,and Taylor,who made the clothing. The name dates back to the twelfth century were a Roger le Weweler is recorded in historical archives. In medieval roles this name was Latinized to Rotarius. The name was brought to America by English immigrants.One of the first fore fathers to bring this name to America is that of a , James Wheeler, a flax dresser, who came to America aboard the Dolphin; he settled in Philadelphia. This surname is the one hundredth and ninety-first most common surname in America.