Surname Wegscheid - Meaning and Origin

Wegscheid: What does the surname Wegscheid mean?

Wegscheid is a German surname, which is derived from the German words ‘weg’ and ‘scheid’. The word ‘weg’ translates to ‘way’ or ‘path’, and the word ‘scheid’ means ‘divided’ or ‘separation’. Put together, then, the name Wegscheid literally means ‘divided way’ or ‘separated path’.

Based on this literal meaning, it is assumed that the original bearer of the name Wegscheid may have lived on a path or road in Germany, and that ‘Wegscheid’ was a nickname or a form of identifying someone who lived on this particular route. It's also possible that the original bearer of the name had split or divided a road in some way, which led to the name being adopted and passed down through families over time.

In addition to German, Wegscheid is also found in regions where Germanic languages such as Dutch, Afrikaans and Low German are spoken, which adds further evidence to the theory that the name originated in Germany.

What is certain that, today, many people around the world proudly carry the surname Wegscheid; whether the original bearer of the name lived on a divided road in Germany centuries ago, or had a hand in making a ‘divided way’ in some way or another is still just conjecture.

Wegscheid: Where does the name Wegscheid come from?

The last name Wegscheid is most commonly found today in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is estimated that there are roughly 500-1,000 people with the last name Wegscheid scattered across the three countries, but the concentration is mainly within Germany. According to Ancestry.com, Wegscheid is the 4,206th most frequent surname in Germany, which accounts for just 0.009% of all German surnames. Of this group, the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have the largest concentration of Wegscheids.

The origin of this German name is not clear, however some people believe it to be from a word meaning ‘wide’ or ‘broad’ in German, which could possibly refer to broad stretches of land. Additionally, the spelling of this name has gone through several variations across time, such as Wechsel, Weguheid, Wegesheid and Wagscheid, among others.

Due to the relatively small population size of people with the last name Wegscheid, it is highly likely that distant members of the family are unaware of each other’s existence. Despite this, it is possible to connect with distant relatives by researching different versions of the name, and searching through online family trees. Additionally, websites such as Genealogieonline.nl offer tools for tracing one’s family history and searching for other members of the Wegscheid family worldwide.

Variations of the surname Wegscheid

Wegscheid is a German surname found in the regions of Bavaria, Upper Bavaria, and Lower Austria. 'Wegscheid' is the standard spelling of the name. Variants of Wegscheid include Wegscheider, Weckscheid, Weckscheider, Wechscheid, Wechscheider, Wegscheid, Wagscheid, Wagsched, Weigscheid, and Weigschiad.

The prefix 'Weg' means 'way' or 'path' while 'Scheid' refers to 'division'. Consequently, the name Wegscheid basically signifies 'a way or path to divide'. The construction and meaning of the name have undergone some minor alterations over the years, mainly in the form of one to two letter shifts. For example, the spelling 'Weckscheid' combines the meanings of 'Way' and 'Check'. Similarly, 'Weckscheider' comes from the words 'Way' and 'Checker'.

The name Wegscheid was first found in Bavaria, where the family became recognized for its many contributions to the emerging medieval society. In the 18th century, the family held numerous branches of its name in the region and began moving out into different parts of the country. As the prominence of the family increased, so too did their name, spreading into Upper Bavaria and Lower Austria.

The Wegscheid family name has accumulated a wide variety of spellings since the earliest times. This is due to a broad range of spelling variations combined with the fact that medieval scribes and church officials often used whatever spelling of a name that had commonly been used by other members of the family or village. Variations included the original German spelling of Wegscheid, as well as Wegscheider, Weckscheid, Weckscheider, Wechscheid, Wechscheider, Wegscheid, Wagscheid, Wagsched, Weigscheid, Weigschiad and many more.

Famous people with the name Wegscheid

• Philipp Wegscheid: Austrian football player
• Francis Charles Wegscheid: 20th century American Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Crookston
• Dennis Wegscheid: former American football player
• Johannes Wegscheid: Austrian sculptor
• William W. Wegscheid: former North Dakota politician
• Father Wegscheid: St. Bridget of Sweden's confessor
• Simon Wegscheid: co-founder of the New Apostolic Church
• Barb Wegscheid: former mayor of Luverne, Minnesota
• Charlotte Wegscheid: Arbeiterin (laborer) in the "Serbischer Spezial-Mappenverlag" publishing house in Munich
• Immanuel Wegscheid: German theologian

Other surnames

WegscheiderWegscheidl