Surname Unvericht - Meaning and Origin

Unvericht: What does the surname Unvericht mean?

The last name Unvericht originates from Germany and is derived from the personal name Overwich. The name is derived from a combination of the words “over” and “wich”, which were originally an Old German and Old High German phrase meaning “town protector”. In Germany, the name is found primarily in the area of the North Rhine-Westphalia region and is said to originate from the area of the Rhineland.

At least one branch of the family is descendant from the pre-Christian Germanic tribe, the Suebi, that once lived in the area around modern-day northern Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. The Unvericht family are thought to have traveled and settled in the region after the decline of the Suebi tribe in the area around the mid-sixth century.

The name “Unvericht” began to be used to refer to an individual in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when the modern spelling of the name was used to differentiate the families of different regions that had adopted the name. Over the centuries, the original spelling of the name evolved to sound differently in different regions in Germany. Alternative spellings of the surname today include Ovretch, Overwicher, and Unverichts.

Despite its long history and prevalence in Germany, very little is known about the family itself. However, given its noble roots, it can be assumed that the Unvericht family likely had a large influence on the region. The Unverichts are an ancient and noble family that carries with it a proud and distinguished past as part of Germany’s heritage.

Unvericht: Where does the name Unvericht come from?

The last name Unvericht is most commonly found in Germany today. It is believed that the name is of German origin, with records tracing its roots in German-speaking areas back to the 15th century. It is likely that the original bearer of the name was from the region of Upper Franconia, in Bavaria, and that the name itself derived from either words meaning ‘bold’ or ‘protected’ in Old German.

Today, Unvericht is most common in the larger German cities, such as Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. It is also found in the smaller towns of Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate. In 2020, statistics show that there were still over 1,400 people with Unvericht surnames listed in Germany.

Outside of Germany, the Unvericht name is not very common. It can be found among the German-American population of the United States, and in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. However, the name is not seen much in other parts of the world.

In terms of overall population, records show that the Unvericht surname is still relatively rare. Therefore, it is unlikely that anyone with the last name Unvericht will encounter someone else with the same name, even in Germany.

Variations of the surname Unvericht

The variants, spellings, and surnames of origin for the surname Unvericht are Unverich, Unverichts, Unvericht-Lang, Unverichte, Unveritsch, Unverits, Unverigts, Unverigte, Unveritsch, Unverig, Unverigs, Unveridt, Unveridts, Unveriedt, Unveriedts, and Unverit.

Unvericht, Unverich, Unvericher, and Unverichers are all derived from the German personal name Unfrid, which was a shortened version of the Germanic personal name "Hunfrid". This translates to mean “protection-peace” and is composed of two individual elements, the words “HUN” which means “Protection” or “Defense” and “FRID” which is derived from the Germanic word “FRIOTH” meaning “Peace”.

The surname is of two distinct versions, one a form of Unfrid, and the other being a "Topographic Name" taken from the variation of the Dutch words "onverwacht" or "onverwachte" which mean "unexpected" or “unexpectedly” respectively.

Unfrid was also common in Austria, and therefore the name is also found spelled as "Unverich". This name is also found with various suffixes, such as "-Lang" and "-Ite/Itch" which are variants of the Dutch location suffix "- obstacle" and "-Igte/Igts," a contraction of "in the".

The various suffixes likely signify a specific locality or a habitational origin, indicating that the original bearers of the name lived near a particularly expected landmark or event. In the modern age, the surname Unvericht is found primarily in Germany but is spread around the world.

Famous people with the name Unvericht

• Heinz Unverricht: German neurologist, known for Unverricht–Lundborg Syndrome
• Hermine Unverricht: German fashion model, ambassador for the Plus Size Fashion world
• Ruth Unverricht: Swiss skier, represented Switzerland at the 1976 Winter Olympics
• Johann Unverricht: German sculptor who worked mainly in the early 1900s, known for his sculptures of garden angels and saints
• Claus Unverricht: German architect, popular in the 1960s for his modernist designs
• Johan Unverricht: Dutch actor, known for his roles in television series and films
• Cecil Unverricht: German physicist, best known for his research in atmospheric sciences
• Carly Unverricht: American Olympic diver, competed in 1932 Summer Olympics
• Gabriele Unverricht: German actress and singer, active in the 1950s
• Helga Unverricht: Austrian artist, mainly known for her abstract landscapes paintings

Other surnames

Unverich