Where does “Wilkesboro” come from?
Wilkesboro (English) comes from English Wilkes, from English Wilk, from English Wilkin, from Middle English Wilkin, from Middle English Will, from Middle English William, from Anglo-Norman Willame, from Old High German Willahelm — to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab.
Ancestry of “Wilkesboro”, step by step
Wilkesboro traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Wilkes
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wilkes | — |
| 2 | English | Wilk | — |
| 3 | English | Wilkin | — |
| 4 | Middle English | Wilkin | — |
| 5 | Middle English | Will | — |
| 6 | Middle English | William | — |
| 7 | Anglo-Norman | Willame | — |
| 8 | Old High German | Willahelm | William |
| 9 | Old High German | helm | helmet |
| 10 | Proto-West Germanic | helm | helmet |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 12 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |