Posted by Dave Roesch, 8/22/2019
So you might be asking yourself: just why did I use the subtitle of “It’s as Irish a Paddy’s pig” on this site? Well… here’s the background on that:
A long time ago, my mother (Helen Veronica Williams) told me a story that I doubt I’ll forget:
She said that at some point in his life, her father (“Papa”, Edward Williams Sr.) was challenged by someone as to the “Irish authenticity” of his Williams surname.
As I remember it, Vera said that Papa replied to the challenge by saying “My name is as Irish as Paddy’s pig!”. And so- there there you have it.
Historical note:
The surname “Williams” is, of course, not as Irish as the afore-mentioned pig… and not even by a long shot.
The name is Germanic in origin, and appears to have spread to France, England, Scotland, and Wales around the time of the Norman Conquest of 1066. From what I’ve been able to determine so far, our own “Williams” ancestors came from the Welsh families of that name.