Whats in a name?

To say the least by modern standards the name Wankling is rather strange, when I was growing up I always thought that the name came from Germany or some other foreign land and would sound nothing like the way we where pronouncing it. What it meant I had no idea, a quick search on the internet recently gave me this

Surname:Wankling
Recorded as Wank, Wanck, Wancke, the diminutive Wankel, the occupational Wankmuller (Germany), and in England as Wanklin, Wankling, and Wanklyn, all diminutives, this is a surname of pre 7th century Anglo-Saxon and early German origins. It has two possible meanings in its base forms, although as a compound such as Wankmuller, meaing a miller by a path, the options are greatly increased. The base form translations are either topographical and describe person who lived by a path or bye road (wank), or the same word used in a transferred sense as a medieval nickname for a person regarded by his friends or peer group, as having a fickel personality! In most countries in Europe, surnames from nicknames form one of the largest groups in the surname listings. Those surnames considered overly robust or obscene, of which there were many, have now disappeared, or have been replaced by gentrified versions. In this case early examples of the surname recordings in both countries include Haintz Wankmuller of Hindelang, Germany in 1451, Hans Wank in the charters of Kempten also Germany, in 1454, Dorothie Wanklyn who married Robert Davies at the church of St Benet Fink, in the city of London on May 16th 1585, and Ambrose Wanklin christened at St Pauls, Covent Garden, on August 27th 1713.

So the question is did my ancestors have a fickle personality or live by a path! Of course I assume there are many such websites trying to tell the history of a name with a differing amount of credibility for example the next link i clicked on gave me a slightly different, but who is to say less correct, view.

The surname of WANKLING was an ancient personal name 'the son of Walkelin'. The name was originally written Gwanklin and was brought to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. Early records of the name mention Walchelin, 1273, County Yorkshire. Isabella Walkelyn of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. Mrs Wakling, mother of the landlord of the Hop Pole, Swanley Junction, Kent died on January 13th 1887, aged 103 years. The name has many variant spellings which include Wanklyn, Wakeling and Wakelin.

The book - The General Armoury of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales by Bernard Burke (published 1864) gives support to the above information, although it is probably the original source, regarding Gwanklin but also provides a little insight into the counties where the name and heraldry came from, and also provides a little on the heraldic imagery

Wanklyn (cos Hereford and Worcester This name was originally written Gwanklin as appears from an ancient Latin MS in the library at Avranches) Per pale gu and sa a lion ramp in sinister supporting a tree eradicated in dexter or Crest - A lion's head erased ppr

Which if I am translating correctly mean’s – A vertically split (pale) with the left half (sinister) of the shield red(gules) showing with a lion rampant (lion ramp) and the right half (dexter) is a tree with no leaves (tree eradicated) on a black (sable) background – but that is just a brief look at a few heraldry websites. I have little understanding of heraldry but i believe the coat of arms are given to a specific family and not a name how it passes on through generations i have no idea!