Wallington was created as a borough on January 2, 1895, based on a referendum held on December 31, 1894, from area taken from Bergen Township and Saddle River Township.[22] The borough was formed during the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through New Jersey, in which 26 boroughs were formed in Bergen County alone in 1894, with Wallington the last of the 26 to be formed by an 1894 referendum.[23] Sections of Wallington were ceded to Garfield in 1898.[22][24][25] The borough is said to have been named for Walling Van Winkle (1650–1725), who built a home in the future borough.[26][27][28]
^Harvey, Cornelius Burnham. Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey, p. 11, New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Company, 1900. Accessed September 15, 2013. "For a period of sixteen years following the passage of this act few boroughs were organized in the State, only three of them being in Bergen County.... As it was twenty-six boroughs were created in the county from January 23, 1894, to December 18, of the same year."
^History, Borough of Wallington. Accessed July 27, 2022. "In 1894 much happened. The building of the Market Street Bridge caused tremendous growth in the area, and a trolley was constructed by the Passaic, Rutherford and Carlstadt Railway company.... A third bridge, the Eighth Street Bridge, promoted further growth of the community with its construction in 1915.
^Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed October 20, 2015. The name is spelled as Walling Jackobs.