The English surname Withers is of patronymic origin being derived  from the Old Norse personal name Viðarr, composed of the elements víðr meaning “wide” and ar meaning “warrior.” The name is first recorded in English records in 1160 when William Wither is registered in “ Charters relating to the Gilbertine houses,’ in London. The name is first recorded in the New World in 1630 when Thomas Withers arrived in New Hampshire. Today there are approximately 11,000 bearers of the name Withers living in the United States.