Surname Wegemann - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Wegemann: What does the surname Wegemann mean?
The surname Wegemann is a German locational surname, originating from the Upper Rhine region of Germany near the Swiss border. The earliest recorded ancestor with this surname is Adam Wegemann, who lived in the late 1600s near the area of Württemberg.
The literal meaning of the surname Wegemann is ‘man of the path’. In this case, it is likely that the path being referred to is that of a river or other body of water, as this is very common in Germanic surnames. The ‘man of the path’ could refer to people living by the banks or overseeing or securing ships as they traveled down the river. It could also refer to people who were involved in transportation of materials via the river, or those in charge of supervising fishing in the river.
Wegemann is a variant of the surname Wagemann, which roughly translates to ‘guardian of the path’. As such, many of the original Wegemanns likely carried out religious and military duties as watchmen or guards along the river. The original Wegemanns were likely of a high social status, and thus the surname is still held in high esteem to this day.
Those with the surname Wegemann can trace their roots back to a proud and honourable family tree. Whether their ancestors oversaw travel along the waterways of Germany or held important military positions, they carry a surname that stands in testament to a proud heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisWegemann: Where does the name Wegemann come from?
The Wegemann surname is generally most commonly found in countries of Germanic descent, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. The data gathered on the "Wegemann" family name comes from two angles. Firstly, from the data provided by the General Register Office in the United Kingdom, Weregemann is very rare in Britain and there are very few occurrences of the name. Listings for Names which contain the Wegemann surname are very uncommon. Secondly, data from the US Census Bureau shows that the Wegemann name is not especially prevalent in the United States, with only 78 people bearing the name in the 2000 US Census.
In Germany the Wegemann surname is found most frequently in the western and southern German states with the highest population being in Berlin. Other relevant occurrences can be found in Bavaria, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Additionally, the name was also found in greater numbers in the eastern part of the Netherlands, such as Overijssel and in the provinces of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hessen, and Lower Saxony.
Overall, the Wegemann name is much more popular in countries with a close relationship to Germany, such as Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, and Switzerland. Though listings of the name are uncommon in the United Kingdom and United States, larger concentrations of the name do exist in countries with a closer Germanic descent.
Variations of the surname Wegemann
The surname Wegemann is an old German name with many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common spelling of the surname is Wegemann and variations include Wegmann, Wegman, Wagemann, Waegemann, Waegmann, Waege, Weygand, Weygemann, Weygandt, Weigand, and Wiegand.
The surname may have originated from the German word "weg" meaning path or way, which is related to the word "wagen," denoting a cart or wagon. Thus, the surname likely denotes someone who worked with carts and wagons or paths.
Other surnames originating from the Wegemann surname include Wegner, Wegnern, Wegnerin, Wegmann, Weigandt, Wegman, and Wagemann. These variations may have come about as a result of dialectical differences in Germany or other European countries, such as Austria or Switzerland. For example, the surname “Wegner” is derived from the word “Weg” and “ner” as an affectionate tag to denote a much loved person.
Weygandt, Weigand, and Wiegand are rare variations of the Wegemann surname. These forms have a similar origin to the Wegemann surname though they have taken on a slightly different spelling as a result of dialectical changes.
The Wegemann surname is still seen in modern Germany and other parts of Europe. Although the surname has many variants, the spelling remains the same. It is a distinctive name that belongs to the historical legacy of Germany.
Famous people with the name Wegemann
- Sönke Wegemann: German former footballer
- Henrik Wegemann: German actor and TV presenter
- Martin Wegemann: German basketball coach and general manager
- Alexis Wegemann: French clarinetist
- Marc Wegemann: German actor
- Sarah Wegemann: German Paralympic swimmer
- Ludwig Wegemann: German historian
- Jürgen Wegemann: German racing driver
- Sebastian Wegemann: German wrestler
- Moritz Wegemann: German footballer
- Bernd Wegemann: German former footballer
- Barbara Wegemann: German politician
- Anne Wegemann: German sprint canoer
- Jan Wegemann: German rower
- Erich Wegemann: German portrait painter