Surname Walduck - Meaning and Origin
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Walduck: What does the surname Walduck mean?
The last name Walduck is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old Germanic personal name Waldec or Waldo, meaning "powerful forest". It likely entered English as Waldock, before undergoing a series of phonetic changes and emerging as Walduck.
The element “wald” in the name is derived from words such as “walde” in Old High German, “wald” in Old Frisian, and “wal” in Old English and Old Saxon, all meaning “wood or forest”. That suffix, "-duck," likely means "son of" or "of the family of” and encompasses the various languages that have contributed to the forming of the name over time.
Throughout the centuries and with various spellings, Walduck has been found in many countries and regions. Documents indicate that due to the use of the various spellings which often sounded a like, bearers of the name were classed as one family. English and European records from the Rexford and Dodsworth manuscripts, as well as parish registers, reveal that the name has a long and distinguished history in England dating back to the 16th century.
Given the Old Germanic roots of the name, it is likely that individuals bearing the name Walduck—in its many spellings—were among the first settlers of the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries. Those early spellings evolved into the modern spelling of Walduck, and today bearers of the name are widely dispersed throughout the world.
Order DNA origin analysisWalduck: Where does the name Walduck come from?
The surname Walduck is not especially common today, however, it can be found in several English speaking countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
The earliest origin of the name "Walduck" is perhaps from the Old English. The name is thought to be a combination of "wald", meaning "leader" and "duck", an old nickname for a strong or brave man.
In the United States, the name is particularly common in the states of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. In the United Kingdom, it can be found mainly in the counties of Northumberland, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire. It is also known to exist in large numbers across Canada, as well as in Australia and New Zealand.
In Australia, the surname is particularly common in the states of Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. Walduck is also a common name in New Zealand, mainly in the North Island cities of Auckland and Hamilton.
Today, the surname is still mainly concentrated in the British Isles, but there are significant numbers of families living in other countries and its presence is evident from the global family records available online.
Variations of the surname Walduck
The surname Walduck has a range of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Walduck is most likely an English surname derived from the old English word ‘weald’ which meant 'forest' or 'woodland'. Common variants of this name include Waldock, Walduck, Waleduck, Walducke, Woleduck, Wallduck, Waudock, Walladock and Walldocke.
In Germany, the same name is spelled Wolduchi or Waldochi and is derived from the German surname Wolduch. In other countries, this surname may have diverse spellings found in records. In the United States, for example, Walducks is another popular spelling.
In Scotland, the surnames Woldock, Waldec, Waldeck, Waudock, Waldoke and Waldoch are found. In France, the same surname is spelled Waulock, Walrock or Waldoks. In Northern Ireland, the surname is found spelled as Waldroc.
Other Anglo-Saxon variations of this surname include Wealduck, Wolduck, Woldoc, Weulduck, WOULDOCK, WOULDIK, WOULDEC and WOULLDOC. The Yiddish form of this surname is Waldek.
Overall, diverse variants of the surname Walduck exist, and often the spelling may vary by region even within the same country. Contacting a genealogist may be helpful in order to discover other potential spellings that may have been used by ancestors.
Famous people with the name Walduck
- Willie Walduck, former professional English rugby footballer
- Wilfred Walduck, former English footballer
- Summer Walduck, former British beauty queen
- Matt Walduck, Australian composer
- Richard Walduck, English former professional footballer
- William Walduck, British barrister
- Michael Walduck, British barrister
- Peter Walduck, Australian rules footballer
- Miss Adelaide Walduck, English actress
- Reg Walduck, English former professional footballer
- James Walduck, English professional footballer
- Joseph Walduck, former English footballer
- Charles Walduck, English former professional footballer
- Stephen Walduck, Canadian hockey player
- George Walduck, English professional footballer
- Jeff Walduck, Australian army officer
- George Walduck, English professional footballer
- George Walduck, English professional footballer
- John Walduck, former professional English rugby footballer
- John Walduck, British rower, former cyclist and outer
- Howard Walduck, Australian cricketer