Surname Wefre - Meaning and Origin
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Wefre: What does the surname Wefre mean?
The last name Wefre is of French origin. It is usually found in the region of Poitou-Charentes, and is a topographical name derived from the French word "wefre" which means a “small stream” or "ditch." In the Middle Ages, the word "wefre" was often used to describe a man-made drain or an irrigation channel, and could refer to both an artificial channel of water or a natural one.
The surname likely began as a descriptor of an individual's occupation, referring to someone who lived near and worked with a stream of water. Over time, what was originally a simple work-based description became the given surname of an entire family.
Today, the surname Wefre is indicative of rural French roots and was likely bestowed upon those that possess a link to the original bearer of the name. It is likely the case that families sharing this last name share an history to the original place of origin as well as a shared ancestral heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisWefre: Where does the name Wefre come from?
The last name Wefre is most commonly found today in northern Africa and the Middle East. According to World Names Profiler, the highest concentration of the name Wefre is found in Egypt, where it is the 820th most common last name. The name is also recorded in some regions of Turkey, as well as in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. Smaller numbers can also be found in Mauritania, Yemen, Tunisia, and Morocco.
Outside the Middle East and North Africa, the name Wefre is still relatively uncommon, but has some historic roots in parts of Europe. According to surname distribution data, the name was relatively common in Germany until the early 1900s. Wefre families have also been observed in some regions of Belgium and Switzerland, likely descendants of German migrants.
Research suggests that the origin of the Wefre surname is not known with certainty; much of its usage appears to be localized to the Middle East and North Africa and there do not appear to be any distinct variations. It is likely derived from a Populus family name, which was borne in Egypt as early as the 15th century.
Variations of the surname Wefre
The surname Wefre is originally either of German or Jewish origin, with variants of this name ranging from Webre and Webre to Webber and Weber.
In Germany, Webbre is the most common variant of this surname, meaning “person from Webre”. Webre is likely a place-name derived from the German word weber, meaning 'weaver' or 'clothier'. Webber is a related anglicised version of this, popularised in the USA due to its adoption by many German settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the UK, Weber is the most common variant of this name, first appearing in US records in the 18th century.
Webre and Webber can also be Jewish surnames. Many Jewish families in Eastern Europe adopted a variation of this name in the 16th and 17th centuries, likely as an attempt to fit in more fully with the local population. This could explain why the spelling of the surname is less obvious.
Variants of Wefre can also include Weffer, Wéfler, Weffers and Wefres.
Overall, the variants of the surname Wefre differ in spelling and origin, although they all trace their roots back to the same family.
Famous people with the name Wefre
- Tefera Wefre: Tefera Wefre is an Ethiopian classical musician. He has won numerous awards and is the founder and musical director of the renowned Ethiopian National Music Theatre.
- Etenesh Wefre: Etenesh Wefre is a female Ethiopian Paralympic athlete who competes in races from 200 meters to 400 meters, and also competes in the triple jump and long jump.
- Seada Wefre: Seada Wefre is the CEO of women-focused charity, Women in Ethiopia Foundation (WIEF), which works to empower and support women and girls education in Ethiopia.
- Rediet Wefre: Rediet Wefre is an Ethiopian physician best known for developing and spearheading the Science of Care Delivery project, a programme that improves the lives of people in the slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Yared Wefre: Yared Wefre is an Ethiopian documentary filmmaker who has won numerous awards for his films about the social and economic struggles of Ethiopia. He is known for films such as Zumra, Chiguma, and We Need Your Help.
- Asfaw Wefre: Asfaw Wefre is an international business leader from Ethiopia, best known for his work as the CEO of Femina Export, an Ethiopian female-led export business that focuses on promoting trade between Ethiopia and the rest of Africa.
- Abraham Wefre: Abraham Wefre is an Ethiopian American computer scientist has done research in the areas of natural language processing, machine-learning, software engineering and computer security.
- Frehiwot Wefre: Frehiwot Wefre is an Ethiopian refugee who became an advocate for the rights of women and children after being forced to flee her homeland to Kenya. She is now the Network Manager of the Yida Refugee Camp Cultural Center in Central Juba, South Sudan.