Surname Waldrup - Meaning and Origin
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Waldrup: What does the surname Waldrup mean?
The last name Waldrup is of German origin. It is derived from “wald,” which means “wood, forest” and “rup” which references a dwelling or settlement within a wooded area. Waldrup is likely a surname indicating that the individuals with the name once lived in a settlement in a wooded area or forest.
The use of surnames in Germany originated in the Middle Ages. At this time, the eldest son inherited his father’s surname, and the other children of the family adopted variations of the father’s original name. Because of this, the surname Waldrup is believed to be either a variant of the surname Walden or a variation of the surnames Waldman or Waldmann.
Many people named Waldrup have migrated to North America, primarily to the United States and Canada. The surname is well represented in records in these countries. Some of these individuals, no doubt, came to North America to start a new life and to seek a better life.
In summary, the last name Waldrup is of German origin. The name is derived from “wald,” which means “wood, forest” and “rup” which references a settlement within a wooded area. The surname likely indicates that the individuals possessed by this surname lived in a wooded area. The surname is well represented in North American records, likely due to migration from Germany in search of a better life.
Order DNA origin analysisWaldrup: Where does the name Waldrup come from?
The last name Waldrup is common mainly in the United States and parts of Europe, though it has a global presence in much smaller numbers. In the US, it is by far most common in the southern states with the highest concentrations in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
The origins of the name Waldrup seem to be European, with some sources attributing it to Germany. Records indicated a family by this name was at one point prominent in Bavaria. It is possible the name was adopted by other countries after emigrating.
It is believed that the name Waldrup is derived from old German words meaning ‘ruler of the forest’. It is assumed that it was given to individuals who owned or were in charge of forests. Today, the surnames Waldrup, Waldrop, and Waldroop are found in records in England, Germany, France, and Scandinavia. In the US, records show that it was among the first names taken by many who first arrived in the 1700s.
Overall, the last name Waldrup is most common in the southern US today but has origins and is still present in other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Waldrup
The surname Waldrup is a variant spelling of the German surname Waldroff or the Dutch surname Valterup. These variants can arise from simple errors due to difficulties in hearing and pronouncing the surname, or by deliberate misspelling to distinguish one family from another. As a result, variant spellings of the same surname include Wallerup, Walderup, Olterup, Allerup, Vahlrup, Valtrup, Walderop, Walderopp, Valterup, Waldrupp, Valtrop, and Waldroop. These surnames are derived from a combination of two Germanic words “val” meaning valley and “rof” meaning rough. Hence, the Waldrup surname can be interpreted to mean someone from the rough valley.
The surname Waldrup can also be used as an anglicized form of the German surname Walther or the Dutch surname Walstra. The anglicized form of these surnames is Walthers, Walthropp, Wallters, Walters, Wallters, Walters, Wallthorp, Wallthorpe, Walldorp, Walldroff, and Walldrop. These surnames are derived from the Germanic name Walthero or from the Dutch name Walstra, both of which come from the Germanic elements “wald” meaning rule and “heri” meaning army, making these surnames interpreted as rule of the army.
In addition to the various forms of Waldrup, some variants can even be found in other languages. In Italian, the surname is spelled Valdrup. The French spelling is Valdropp, while the Slavic equivalent is Voltrapp. Lastly, the Spanish, Portuguese, and Catalan cognates of Waldrup are Valdroro, Valdrappo, and Valderal.
Famous people with the name Waldrup
- Gary Waldrup: former American professional baseball player in Major League Baseball.
- Tasker Waldrup: former English professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
- Emma Waldrup: Danish actor most notable for her role in the 2018 movie The Guilty.
- Jørgen Waldrup: Danish tactician who spent much of his career as a coach in the Danish Superliga before becoming an assistant manager with the Denmark national team in 2017.
- Johan Waldrup: Danish football manager who is the current manager of Lyngby Boldklub, a Danish Superliga team.
- Todd Waldrup: former professional American football player who played in the National Football League for the Minnesota Vikings.
- Paige Waldrup: British jazz vocalist who is the sister of Emeli Sandé.
- Shane Waldrup: American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Bellator Featherweight division.
- Patrick Waldrup: lead singer of the German punk rock band Die Ärzte.
- Joe Waldrup: former professional American football player in the National Football League for the Indianapolis Colts.