Surname Wasserstraß - Meaning and Origin
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Wasserstraß: What does the surname Wasserstraß mean?
The last name Wasserstraß is a German name, derived from the words ‘Wasser’ and ‘straße’ which translate to ‘water’ and ‘street’ respectively. This indicates that the name has a topographical connection, as the literal translation of Wasserstraß to English would be ‘water street’. It could refer to somebody who lived or worked on a water street.
The two components of the name are common throughout the region, and Wasserstraß as a surname can be found with minor variations (Wasserstrass, Wassers-trasse, and Wassers-straße) in many pockets of Europe, particularly Germany. It was often used as a substitute for the dispersed or lost family name of the immigrant who settled in a foreign land.
Aside from the topographical explanation, it is also possible that Wasserstraß was adopted to describe somebody who was associated with navigation or a shipping trade. The ‘water’ element of the name could refer to the fact that a person may have been engaged in the business of river and/or canal transport, a profession that was not uncommon in the Middle Ages.
In some ways, the name Wasserstraß can be considered a microcosm of a centuries-old German immigrant experience. It provides a rare glimpse into the past, revealing the evolution of the name beyond its literal meaning and present day relevance.
In modern times, the name is most commonly found as the surname of individuals. Wasserstraß can be found among many families sprinkled across the globe, from Germany to the United States.
Order DNA origin analysisWasserstraß: Where does the name Wasserstraß come from?
The last name Wasserstraß is primarily found in German-speaking countries, such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and its variant spellings, Wasserstrauß and Wasserstrass, may also be found in other parts of the world. The name is derived from the German word for water, "wasser," and the word for "street," "straße." It is likely that the name was given to individuals in the past who lived in areas near water or on a street near water, such as a river or a canal.
Today, the name is still relatively common in German-speaking countries. In Germany, the name is mainly found in the states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, Brandenburg, Thuringia, and Saxony. In Switzerland, the name is spread throughout the different cantons and is mainly prevalent in cities such as Basel, Bern, and Zurich. In Austria, it is most commonly found in the provinces of Vienna, Lower and Upper Austria, Styria, and Carinthia.
The name Wasserstraß is also found, to a lesser degree, in other countries around the world, such as the United States, Canada, and Argentina, as well as in other parts of Europe, such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Scotland, Spain, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. In many cases, these occurrences are likely the result of German immigrants who left their home country to settle in other parts of the world and brought the name with them.
Variations of the surname Wasserstraß
The surname Wasserstraß is a Germanic surname that has many different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. These names all appear to derive from the same root word 'was' which was used to refer to a watercourse or a waterway.
The most common variant of the surname is Wassersstraße, which is derived from the German language and corresponds to the English spelling of Watersstraße. Other variant spellings of the name include Wasserstraase and Wasserstrasse.
Variants of the name can also be found in other languages, such as French and Dutch, where it is spelled as Wasterstraat and Wassersstraat respectively.
In addition to the different spellings of the name, there are also various surnames derived from it. These include Wasserstraßer, Wasserstraßen, Wassersstraßer and Wassersstraßen.
The surname Wasserstraß is gradually becoming less common, however, it is still found in many countries today. It can be seen used as a family name in Poland, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Famous people with the name Wasserstraß
- Lenny Wasserstraß: German actor and comedian
- Sebastian Wasserstraß: German jazz- and blues musician
- Rudolf Wasserstraß: German theater and music producer
- Therese Schwarzenberger-Wasserstraß: Austrian author and translator
- Max Wasserstraß: Austrian politician, entrepreneur and president of the Austrian Tennis Association
- Michael Wasserstraß: German legal practitioner and author
- Peter Wasserstraß: German professor and psychologist
- Erik Wasserstraß: German musician and songwriter
- Adam Wasserstraß: German theater manager and director