Where does “Willoughby” come from?
Willoughby derives from Old English weliġ, from Proto-West Germanic wilig, from Proto-Germanic wiligaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wel-.
Ancestry of “Willoughby”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | weliġ | well-to-do, prosperous, rich; willow |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | wilig | willow |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wiligaz | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | weliḱ- | willow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wēl- | — |