Surname Wedewer - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Wedewer: What does the surname Wedewer mean?
The last name Wedewer is a German family name that originates from the Middle Ages. The first recorded instance of the Wedewer name dates back to 1257, when documentary evidence shows that a noble family named Wedewer lived in the German state of Hesse.
The literal translation of the name Wedewer is ‘a wet worker’ in Old High German. This generally indicated a laborer, such as an agricultural or rural worker, who is exposed to wet and rainy conditions while working the land. This likely points towards a farming or agricultural background, which is echoed in the Wedewer family crest.
The modern literary meaning of the Wedewer name is “Sender of Waves” or “Friend of the Sea.” This also serves to highlight the historic connection between the Wedewer family and their rural lifestyle, as well as indicating a potential maritime or sea-faring private life – although this cannot be proven beyond doubt.
Today, the Wedewer name has spread throughout the world, having travelled from its roots in Central Europe. It appears that the name is still relatively rare, meaning it still carries a certain sense of respect and prestige.
Order DNA origin analysisWedewer: Where does the name Wedewer come from?
The Wedewer surname is most common in Germany and Switzerland today. It is derived from the old German word "Wedeve" which means "meadow." The German word "wer" means "true" or "honest." Therefore, the name Wedewer roughly translates to "true meadow".
The earliest records of Wedewer families come from southwestern Germany and Switzerland, mostly in the state of Baden-Württemberg and the canton of Bern. There is also evidence of small clusters of Wedewers in Bavaria, Austria, France, and the Netherlands. Wedewer families first began immigrating to the United States in the 19th century, primarily settling in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.
According to the Human Family Tree Project, Wedewer is still present around Europe today, with the majority of the population located in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. By looking at records from the US Census, Wedewer is not particularly prevalent in the United States, having only a few hundred members.
Wedewer is one of the many Germanic surnames that migrated to the United States in the 1800s. It has stood the test of time, and many Wedewers still live in Europe and the United States today, proudly bearing the name and its translation of "true meadow."
Variations of the surname Wedewer
The surname Wedewer is a surname of German origin, and can have different spellings throughout print and web sources. Typically, spellings of Wedewer include Vadewer, Vadewer, Vadower, Vadwor, Vadwer, Vatwer, Vatwor, Wadewer, Wadower, Wadwor, Wadwer, Watwer, and Watwor. Surnames with similar origins are pronounced slightly differently, but they all originate from the same place and mean “warrior of the forest”.
The alternative surnames of Wedewer, particularly those pronounced similarly, are usually variations of the original spelling. Variants of Wedewer are mostly composed of similar letters, such as those containing “v” instead of “w” and vice versa. As a result, these similar spelled and pronounced surnames could potentially come from the same family tree, as it is likely that multiple branches of the same family separated and adopted different spellings of the original name.
The other possible theory of where these variations of the name Wedewer originate from is due to language differences. As German is the source language of this family name, different countries would adopt their own version of the spelling. For example, in Germany it is the spelling Wedewer, while in the Netherlands, where they would mainly speak Dutch, the spelling would be slightly different. This is why numerous variations of the Wedewer surname exist.
Overall, there are many variants, spellings, and surnames that are of the same origin as the Wedewer surname. As the Wedewer family is of German origin, many spelling variations exist due to language differences between countries but also due to branches of the same family adapting different spellings.
Famous people with the name Wedewer
- Willie Wedewer: American professional baseball player who competed in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for two seasons.
- David Wedewer: American modern pentathlete who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
- Steve Wedewer: American professional baseball player who played as a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966.
- Henry Wedewer: American harness racing trainer and driver who won the Hambletonian with Merton Hanover in 1961.
- Russell Wedewer: American professional basketball player who competed in the NBA for the St. Louis Hawks.
- Joe Wedewer: American Major league Baseball player who played for four teams from 1948-1953.
- Christopher Wedewer: Princely Abbot of Beuronese Congregation of the Order of Saint Benedict.
- Ann Wedewer: American television producer who was responsible for the children show, "Bug Juice".
- Robert Wedewer: American politician from the state of Ohio.
- Samuel Wedewer: American missionary and teacher who operated a school for freed slaves in Haiti.