Witch Bloodline Names from Salem, England, Norway and More

If you’ve ever wondered if you descend from a line of witches, you could be right! Do you have a family tree you can access? If so, finding your witch ancestors will be easy. If not, what you’ll do is write down your family’s last names – your last name (which is typically your father’s), your mother’s maiden name, her mother’s maiden name, your father’s mother’s maiden name, etc. Gather as many of these last names as you can, then compare against the witch bloodline names listed here! It also helps if you have a general idea of where your family originates. For example – Earlys are from Ireland, Fosters are from England, etc. 

Before We Start: Please Note!

Before diving into your family’s history and comparing to the witch bloodline names below, you have to discern whether you believe these ancestors were witches or not. Many of the accused “witches” plead guilty to lessen their sentence, be freed, or they were tortured into “confessing”. It is possible that some of these people were witches at the most basic level because some were considered wise men or women who used herbs to heal and divination to help find lost objects, etc. Do your research on witch bloodline names that match your own and determine from there whether or not you descend from a real “witch”.

Salem Witch Bloodline Names

Whether your family lives in New England or has migrated elsewhere in the U.S., check your familial names against the Salem Witch Trials last names:

Keep in mind, some of these names are of the convicted, while some were accused and either escaped or died in jail before conviction. ALSO, I did not include the maiden names of the married women. If you’re serious, you might want to check out the married Salem witches’ maiden names too! If you have one of the Salem witches’ names in your family, you could be a descendant from the Salem witch bloodline. Next you’ll want to build your family tree online at ancestry or elsewhere and search for an ancestor to confirm.

American Witch Bloodline Names (Outside of Salem)

In the last article Ancestral Witchcraft article, we listed off the names of the Salem witches. All who were accused and found guilty, those who were executed and those who escaped or died in prison. In this database, we’ll scratch the surface of other American witch surnames from elsewhere in the United States. So if your ancestors didn’t live in Salem, but live somewhere else in the U.S., you might find it here! The names below are taken from Connecticut, Maryland, and New York witch trial documentation. Also from Appalachian and Ozark folklore books. If you have ancestors from New England, Maryland, Louisiana, the Carolinas, the Appalachians or Ozarks with any of these last names – look at your family tree to determine if your ancestor might have been a witch!

English Witch Bloodlines

I’ll reiterate, the names here are a mixture of Witch Trial documentation from England as well as what we know of English cunning men and women. I’ve also included last names of well-known twentieth century English witches. It is up to you to determine if your ancestor was a “witch” or not. Our definition of a witch today doesn’t always match what the definition of a witch was back then. Someone who uses herbs to heal, pendulums to divine messages, and practices folk magic might have been a healer, pellar, conjurer, or cunningfolk back then, but today we might label them as a “witch”.

Irish Witch Bloodline Names

The Witch Trials in Ireland were fewer than those elsewhere in Europe, but they still happened. There were also healers, herbalists, and wise men and women who were labeled as witches in the name of superstition. Some survived the accusations, while others avoided them entirely. It is up to you to decide if your ancestors were witches by your definition or not. Names were gathered from public documentation of Witch Trials and folklore books.

Scottish Witch Bloodline Names

Recently a book from the seventeenth century containing three hundred + names of Scottish witches was published online through the Wellcome Library / Ancestry.com. While I would LOVE to provide you all with those names, the writing is in cursive and hard to decipher. Until I can translate or find a legible source, here I will provide the other known Scottish witch bloodline names:

German & Swiss Witch Bloodlines

Perhaps you had a German or Swiss ancestor who was accused and/or executed for witchcraft. Check out the names of the German and Swiss witch bloodlines below. Be aware that there were thousands of German witches executed during the Medieval and Early Modern Era whose names were never recorded. They were often documented as “a young girl of nine”, “the prettiest woman in town”, “the rich woman”, “the reverend of…” So even if you don’t see your ancestral names in the witch bloodline names, still doesn’t mean you aren’t descended from witches. I’ve combined the two (German and Swiss) because of proximity.

Poland Witch Bloodline Names

There were indeed Witch Trials in Poland, the same as Germany and Eastern Europe. In fact, the last person accused and executed for witchcraft in Poland was as recent as the early eighteen hundreds. Her name was Barbara Zdunk. In addition, Maciej and Katarzyna Beret were accused and tried for witchcraft and supposedly “enchanting” their neighbors’ cows. Anna Szwedyczka‘s case was a high profile case in Poland. She was executed by burning in 1678.

Northern European Witch Bloodline Names

In this list, I am including witches from the Scandinavian and Northern European countries. The entire continent endured such tragedy, and the Northern European countries were no strangers to the Witch Hunts that ravaged the people. 

Mediterranean Witch Bloodline Names

Italy and surrounding Mediterranean countries also had their fair share of Witch Trials and executions. The nature of the trials was a bit different than those found in Britain, Germany, and Northern Europe, but still tragic nonetheless. If you have Italian or Mediterranean surnames in your family, check this list:

Now What? How to Honor Your Witch Ancestors

So you found one of your familial names on the witch bloodline names list…now what? I suggest researching everything you can about that particular witch ancestor. Google it. Often Wikipedia pages with information on the Witch Trials have taken their information from books and other resources. Check the bottom of the Wikipedia pages for the Bibliography section. Read those books. Read and read some more.

Record your findings in your journal, BOS, or in your family tree! Another way to honor your witch ancestors, study the ancient culture of his/her people and also the culture at the time of his/her life. Cook the food your ancestors might have cooked. Set up an altar for your witch ancestor and honor him/her with candlelight, prayer, incense, and other appropriate offerings. Listen to their music. 

Ancestral Witchcraft: Does it Matter?

If you find a witch ancestor in documents or not, it doesn’t really matter. It is a fun and cool thing to find one, yes, but you can still practice ancestral witchcraft. Study your ancestors’ ways, wherever they are from. Incorporate those ways into your daily life and spiritual path. The thing is – if you go back far enough in time, everyone had pagan ancestors, some of whom were priests and priestesses. Some were shamans and druids. Some were witch doctors and midwives. Everyone has at least ONE of these magical people in their heritage, whether we can find proof of it or not. 

Witch Ancestors Series: More to Come!

I barely scratched the surface of the witch bloodline names in America and Europe, so please stay tuned. I plan to write in-depth articles on each country’s Witch Trials and bloodlines, including the regions not mentioned above (Eastern European, Baltic, Basque, etc.) If this generates enough interest, I will also write an article on witch ancestors from all over the world. Have you found any witches in your family tree? If so, how do you honor them?

Learn more by reading my book:

More On Ancestral Witchcraft:

• Ancestral Witchcraft: Witch Bloodline Names from England, Ireland and U.S.
• What is Ancestral Witchcraft? Intro to the Tradition, Beliefs, and Practices
• Is Witchcraft in Your Blood? 15 Signs You Come From a Family of Witches