Recorded in various spellings including Whethered, Wethered, Weatherhead, and dialectals such as Weatherledg, Weatherhegg and Weatherhogg, this is an Anglo-Scottish surname. It has two possible origins. The first is from the medieval phrase "wether hierde", from the Old English pre 7th century words "wether", meaning a sheep, with "hierde", a herd or flock, and hence an occupational name for a sheppard. The second is locational from a "lost" hamlet called Wetherhed or similar which was thought to have been in the former county of Berwick. This may help to explain why the earliest recording is in Scotland, although most of the recordings are found in England. The following examples help to illustrate the name development over the centuries. Augustin Wetherherde in the tax rolls of Kent known as the "Feet of Fines" in the year 1214, Henry Weydurherd in the Derbyshire Charters of 1476, George Weddirheid, in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1532, John Weatherledg or Wetherhegg at St Dunstans in East, Stepney, on September 10th 1699, and finaly John Weatherhogg who married Sarah Mason at St Leonards Shoreditch, in the city of London, on May 15th 1786. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Wethyrhyrde. This was dated 1200, at Neucraneston, Scotland, during the reign of King William, known as "The Lion of Scotland", 1165 - 1214. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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