Arms, titles, honours and styles of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington William selected the name Wellington for its similarity to the family surname of Wellesley, which derives from the village of Wellesley in Somerset, not far from that of Wellington. Since he did not return to England until the Peninsular War was over, he was awarded all his patents of nobility in a single day. The Duke of Wellington stood as godfather to Queen Victoria's seventh child, Prince Arthur, in 1850. Prince Arthur was also born on the first of May; and as a toddler, young Arthur was encouraged to remind people that the Duke of Wellington was his godfather. The
Wellesley High School girls ice hockey team won the state championship. In 2006, the Wellesley High School boys lacrosse team won the Division I All State Championships Varsity Sports in Wellesley for the 2014–2015 academic school year are as follows: Wellesley High School is widely known for their performing arts department, which has reached state and national levels on a consistent basis. Some of the most notable works by the Wellesley High School performing arts department include the Keynote and Rice Street singers (Conducted by Dr. Kevin McDonald) involvements with the Boston Pops, as well as the band and orchestra programs (Conducted by