Surname Welgehausen - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Welgehausen: What does the surname Welgehausen mean?
The last name Welgehausen is derived from a German patronymic surname. It is derived from the Old High German personal name Welligardo combined with the word hausen, which means "house". The part welle in the name suggests a connection to a source of water or someone living near a body of water.
The earliest records of Welgehausen can be found in documents in the region of Westphalia, located in northwestern Germany, dating as far back as the 15th century. Over the years, the name spread from this region to other parts of Germany and beyond.
The Welgehausen surname is found today mainly in Germany and the Netherlands, but it is also found in parts of the United States and elsewhere in the world.
Today, this surname is primarily associated with a family who have been residing in this area in Germany for centuries, but it could be used more generally to refer to anyone who is a descendant of this family or whose ancestors originated in this region of Germany.
The Welgehausen surname is a reminder of the long history of humanity, tracing back centuries and reminding us of the ways in which our cultures have evolved over time. It is a reminder of the human connections between countries, continents, and peoples, and serves to connect us with a common history.
Order DNA origin analysisWelgehausen: Where does the name Welgehausen come from?
The last name Welgehausen is most common in Germany and the surrounding region. The most recent census data from the year 2020 shows that the name Welgehausen is most common in the states of Lower Saxony, Hesse, Thuringia, and Bavaria. It’s less common in other German-speaking countries such as Austria and Switzerland.
However, despite the name’s strong German roots, it has traveled beyond the nation’s borders, along with those who share the same surname. Notably, the surname Welgehausen can now be found in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, particularly in areas established by German migrants or with strong German heritage roots, such as in Texas, New Jersey, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.
The Welgehausen surname is particularly concentrated in some large German cities. In the cities of Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, and Nuremberg there are multiple people with the surname Welgehausen. The larger cities offer a deeper genealogical pool to draw from, but the prevalence of the name in rural areas implies that it has been passed down as a part of local families for generations.
The name Welgehausen can also be found in some other parts of the world, like Latin America and parts of Africa. There is still much research to be done to fully trace the global reach of the Welgehausen surname. What is known for certain is that the name Welgehausen still has a strong presence in Germany, and can be traced to a variety of locations outside the country.
Variations of the surname Welgehausen
The surname Welgehausen is derived from the words "Welge" and "Hausen", which are both German words. Welge means "good, pleasant" and Hausen means "house, dwelling". This surname is specific to areas of Germany, the Low Countries and the Scandinavian countries, where it is found mainly as Welgehausen, Welgehauser, Wellhausen, and Wilkehausen.
In addition to the original spelling, Welgehausen, the surname can also be found spelled as Welghausen, Wellghausen, Whelgehausen, Wilgehausen, Wilkshausen, Wilgehausen, Wellkhausen, Welkehausen, Waleshausen, and Wallhausen. While these spellings differ, they all have one thing in common: they originate from the same geographical area.
Variant spellings of Welgehausen can also be found outside of German-speaking countries. For example, in the United States, it has been found spelled as Whelhausen, Willeyshousen, Welghausen, and Willhausen. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it has been found spelled as Wilghyshousen, Welghyshousen, Whelghshousen, and Willehshousen.
As a result of the different spellings of Welgehausen, the surname is also associated with several other surnames. Those surnames include Welghyshousen, Whelghshousen, Wilgshousen, and Whelhausen. Each of these surnames are often found in areas of Germany, the Low Countries, and the Scandinavian countries, but they may also be seen in other countries, depending on the connection to the original spelling.
Overall, the surname Welgehausen has a variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Despite the differences, they all originate from the same geographical area and can be found in Germany, the Low Countries, and the Scandinavian countries, as well as the US and the UK/Ireland.
Famous people with the name Welgehausen
- Bernd Welgehausen: German Protestant theologian and ecumenist who served as the director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg.
- Joachim Welgehausen: German Neoclassical composer and organist from Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt.
- Carl Welgehausen: German stage and film actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s.
- Rudolf Welgehausen: German journalist and diplomat who served in several roles during the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany, including as a spokesman in the Foreign Office and the ambassador to Italy.
- Friedrich Ludolf Welgehausen: German artist and draughtsman active in the second half of the 18th century. He was mainly active in Berlin, where he produced numerous book illustrations and copperplate etchings.
- Harriet Welgehausen: German actress best known for her performance in the film The Sinful Village (1928).
- Cephus Welgehausen: American locomotive fireman and railway brakeman who in 1921 was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism after rescuing three passengers from a train wreck.
- Trudi Erickson Welgehausen: American abstract expressionist painter who worked closely with Jackson Pollock during the 1950s.
- Adolf Welgehausen: German engineer and entrepreneur who founded several engineering companies in the 19th century and is remembered today for his development of the first manually operated adjustable safety arc-welders.
- Albert Welgehausen: German Expressionist sculptor who was active in the early 20th century and is remembered for his sculptures of animals and mythical figures.