Surname Mehwald - Meaning and Origin
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Mehwald: What does the surname Mehwald mean?
The last name Mehwald is of German origin; it is a variant of the surname Mähwald. This surname was most likely derived from a personal name, Mähwald, which was derived from the Old High German “magi” meaning might or power and “wald” meaning ruler, or ”forest”. The name could also have originally been a place-name, derived from the Middle High German term “mel” meaning a meadow or field, and “wald” meaning forest. Over time, the “mel” was likely replaced with an “mäh”, which some linguists postulate could have been a regional dialect variant.
The first recorded occurrences of the surname Mehwald occur in the 16th and 17th centuries in local church records. Most of the occurrences have been found in the areas around southwest Germany, particularly in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. Those who bear the surname might have historically been farmers or small-scale landowners in south Germany, and in some cases may have been beekeepers. In recent years, Mehwald has become a relatively rare name, likely due to emigration. Those who do still bear the surname may still live in the southwest German regions, or may have since moved to other areas of Europe, the United States, or Canada.
Order DNA origin analysisMehwald: Where does the name Mehwald come from?
The last name Mehwald is most commonly found in Germany. In the past, there were also many other people with the Mehwald surname in other parts of Europe and even the United States, but today it is much more rare outside of Germany.
In the Germany of today, the surname is present in all but four of the sixteen federal states. The majority of those with this last name reside in Brandenburg and Berlin. These two regions account for nearly 62% of all people with the surname in Germany, which is estimated to be around 10,506 people.
Outside of Germany, there are a few people who still carry this surname, typically in places where German immigrants settled in the past such as countries that used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Examples of this include Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Overall, the Mehwald surname is still widely present in Germany, but much rarer in other places around the world.
Variations of the surname Mehwald
The surname Mehwald can also be found in various forms. These include Mahwald, Mehwalt, Meilwald, Meißner, Meißner-Mehwald, Mölwald, Mölwer, Möhlwald, Mehrwald, and Melwald. All of these surnames stem from Mehwald and share a similar meaning.
The most commonly used spelling of the surname Mehwald is Mahwald, which derives from an ancient Germanic word meaning “fortunate” or “happy” in modern English. The root of the name is “meh” meaning pleasant or favorable. This spelling has been used in Germany since the 13th century.
The spelling of Mehwalt refers to an ancient Germanic tribe called the Chatti, meaning people of the river. It may have been an early variant form of the name Mahwald, possibly adopted by families with this ancestry sometime in the Middle Ages.
The spellings of Meilwald, Meißner, Meißner-Mehwald, Mölwald, Mölwer, and Möhlwald all may have stemmed from a mispronunciation or misunderstanding of the original spelling of Mahwald, likely arising in the 17th century.
The spellings of Mehrwald and Melwald also appear to have derived from Mahwald. This spelling may have come about as a result of people with these surnames being familiar with the Germanic word “mehr” meaning more, and adding it to the original spelling.
Whether spelled Batrachomyomachia or Meywald, they all share the same ancestral root word——"meh," which means favorable or pleasant in modern English. Accordingly, the names that derive from the root word, whether the spelling be meh, mah, mehr or mel, all have a modern definition rooted in a shared and important meaning.
Famous people with the name Mehwald
- Lars Mehwald: German television presenter
- Gerd Mehwald: German actor
- Reinhard Mehwald: German actor
- Günter Mehwald: German actor
- Nicola Mehrwald: Austrian artist
- Paul Mehwald: Russian-American acting teacher
- Klaus Mehwald: German historian
- Elke Mehwald: German golfplayer
- Günther Mehwald: German politician
- Kristen Mehrwald: American author