This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the wright,' often latinized in mediaeval rolls into faber, a skilled workman in various materials.

'He was a well good wright, a carpenter.' Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales.

Robert le Wriete, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Roger le Wriete, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Margery le Wrytte, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

Adam Wrygson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Redebarn, wryght 1379: ibid.

Robert Wreghtson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Ann Wrighteson, Yorkshire: Fabric Rolls of York Minster: Wills and Inventories (Surtees Society).

1741. Baptised — James, s. James Wrightson: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

1742. Married — Alex. Wright and Mary Harwood: ibid.

Wrightson belongs to an extremely small but interesting class; compare Smithson, Hinson, Taylorson, and Herdson.

This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the boatwright,' a ship-carpenter, a boatbuilder. 'Botwrythe, botewright, navicularius': Promptorium Parvulorum.

John Botewright, or Botewryth, master of Corpus Chnsti Coll., Camb., 1474: History of Norfolk.

On his monument a third shield bears 3 boats, or barges, and a fourth has 3 wimbles, or augurs, by way of rebus, and in allusion to his name, Boatright, or Botewright': ibid.

1779. Married — Samuel Boatright and Ann Hiller: St. George, Hanover Square.

A surname common to the Lowlands and to the north of England, from Old English wyrhta, a worker, chiefly in wood, a carpenter. With Scots it has displaced Carpenter, a surname of Latin origin. Rauf le Wrighte, burgess of Stirling, and Thomas le Whright of the Blakehalle of Lanarkshire rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, p. 197,213). In 1342 there is mention of the land of Richard Wricht or Richard dictus Wright in Aberdeen, and Malcolm Vrycht was a charter witness there in 1362 (REA., I, p. 71,105). Robert Wryhyt, a carpenter of Berwick, was employed on the roof of the chapel and hall called "la Blakhalle" of the Castle of Berwick in 1362, and Thomas Wryhyt of Alnewyk, another carpenter, aided him (Bain, IV, p. 17). A wadset by Robert Vrich, burgess of Dunde, is recorded in 1397 (Pitfirrane, 10), and John Wrycht was concerned in a law dispute in Aberdeen in 1398 (CRA., p. 371), and William Wrycht held land in Edinburgh, 1405 (Egidii, p. 43). William Wrycht of Lethnot is mentioned in 1410 (REB., I, 29), Richard Wryth was perpetual chaplain of St. Clement the Martyr in Dundee, 1427 (RMS., II, 95), and in 1435 William Wrycht, dominus de Glenesk, is referred to (REB., I, p. 75). William Wrythe with the consent and assent of his spouse Cristine Wrycht made a grant in favor of the Abbey of Newbattle, 1462 (Neubotle, p. 248). Richard Writht was admitted burgess of Aberdeen, 1492 (NSCM., I, p. 37). Possibly some Macintyres have Englished their name Wright. Vrycht 1558, Wercht 1473, Wrecht 1462, Wreicht 1536, Wreight 1684, Wrych 1435, Wryt 1610, and in the Register of Cupar-Angus Abbey the name is common under the forms Wiricht, Wirrycht, Wirryht, Wirycht, Wrich, and Wryght.

(English) Boat-Builder [Old English bát+wyrhta]

The Anglo-Saxon wyrhta signifies, in its widest sense, the same as the Latin faber, a workman of any kind, but more specifically an artificer in hard materials. The eminent antiquary who bears this surname observes, that "Smith was the general term for a worker in metals, and Wright for one who worked in wood and other materials. Hence in the later English period smith became the peculiar name of a blacksmith, and wright of a carpenter, as it is still in Scotland." Wright's Vocab. p. 10. And in this way it was understood in Chaucer's days. He says of his Reeve: —

Wright. —This name is distributed over England, but is comparatively infrequent in the counties on the south coast, and in the northern counties north of Yorkshire. It exists in densest numbers in the counties lying between the Wash and the Thames, being especially numerous in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, and also, but to a less extent, in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. In the midlands it is nearly as crowded, and has its chief centres in Warwickshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire, etc. It is also very frequent in Lincolnshire and Cheshire, and is somewhat less numerous in Lancashire and Yorkshire. The Wrights have established themselves in Scotland, though in no great numbers, and not usually north of Perthshire.