Surname Wedl - Meaning and Origin
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Wedl: What does the surname Wedl mean?
The last name Wedl is a German and Austrian surname, derived from the Middle High German verb wettelen which means “to offer bids or stakes” or “to gamble”. This suggests that the original bearers of the name Wedl may have been professional gamblers, although this cannot be definitively proven. The name also appears in other areas of Europe, including Slovakia and Switzerland, and is likely to have multiple sources of origin.
Wedl is believed to have first emerged in Austria and Germany during the Medieval period. At this time, last names were beginning to be adopted by individuals, partly to promote a sense of identity and partly in recognition of an individual’s status, whether that was derived from occupation or from family name. It is likely that the early bearers of the Wedl name earned it on account of their profession or place of dwelling.
Today, the Wedl surname is most commonly found in Austria and parts of Germany, as well as Slovakia and Switzerland. In 2013 there were just over 500 people who reported the name in the Austrian census, with 230 recorded as living in Vienna. The Wedl name is also slightly less common in Germany, with just over 400 people reporting it in the most recent census.
The Wedl surname continues to be passed down through generations, to form part of family history and underpin a sense of identity across multiple countries.
Order DNA origin analysisWedl: Where does the name Wedl come from?
The surname Wedl appears to be most common today in Austria and Germany. Within both countries it is found particularly distributed in the states of Bavaria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria and in Bayern, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Hessen in Germany.
The first recorded Wedl was a Johannes Van Wedel, in 1375, who had a property in Walbergen near Quedelnburg in Bavaria. Between this time, and the nineteenth century, the Wedl family may have been living in Bavaria, or they may have lived in central Europe with some branches migrating to other parts of Europe. During the nineteenth century, the Wedls had spread out within Austroupa. With a high level of emigration from the region, Wedls settled in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Today, the Wedl surname can still be found in family archives, given the emigration that occurred. Currently, there are 672 people with the Wedl surname registered on the US Census, 628 people with the Wedl surname in Austria, and 1,687 people with the Wedl surname in Germany.
Variations of the surname Wedl
The Wedl surname is an Austrian surname which can be spelled in many different ways, like Wedel, Wiedl, Widel, Wiedel, Wedlmayr, and Wiedlmayr. Wedel and Wiedl are the most common spellings for this surname. It is believed to be derived from the German word wedele which means “wind”, “turn”, or “swirl”.
The surname Wedl was first found in Austria in the region of Upper Austria's county of Linz-Land where the Wedl family was among the first documented in the region. Later they spread to Vienna and throughout Austria but particularly flourished in the region of Vikhaztical-Wiedl pertaining to Upper Austria.
The surname can also be found in other countries, such as in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. It is relatively uncommon but it can be found in records in the U.S., most likely due to immigration from Europe or when descendants changed their names.
The Wedel surname is also common among the German-American population. It is believed to have originated with settlers who arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in the late 1700s and 1800s. The spelling changed as immigrants adapted their surnames for phonetic pronunciation.
The Wedl surname is also found among Swiss and French-descended Americans as well. The Swiss Wedl family was established in the Switzerland canton of Fribourg since at least the 1600s. The French Wedl family were well known in the town of Quimper in the Cote d'Armor.
Overall, the Wedel surname is found throughout Europe and across the world, especially in countries with populations of German-speaking immigrants such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Famous people with the name Wedl
- Caroline Wedl: Austrian chef and restaurateur.
- Franz Wedl: 19th-century Austrian caricaturist and portrait artist.
- Gabriela Wedl: Austrian soprano opera singer.
- Johannes Wedl: Austrian former alpine skier.
- Johannes Wedl II: Austrian former alpine skier and the son of Johannes Wedl I.
- Matthias Wedl: Austrian luger who has competed since 2001.
- Rudolf Wedl: Austrian former luger who competed during the 1960s.
- Anja Wedl: Austrian water-skier who competes in the barefoot division.
- Helmuth Wedl: Austrian former hurdler who competed in the 1960s.
- Kurt Wedl: Austrian former alpine skier who competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics.
- Heidi Wedl: Austrian speed skater who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics.
- Gregor Wedl: Austrian singer and singer-songwriter.
- Edgar Wedl: Austrian former alpine skier who competed in the 1956 Winter Olympics.
- Simon Wedl: Austrian active ski jumper.
- Johann Wedl: Austrian former alpine skier and the brother of Johannes Wedl I.