Surname Welligehausen - Meaning and Origin
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Welligehausen: What does the surname Welligehausen mean?
The last name Welligehausen is of German origin and is derived from the words “wellen” (waves) and “hausen” (houses). According to the medieval German custom of naming places, the last name Welligehausen probably refers to a place where waves of some kind are present, such as a body of water or a hillside. The first recorded instance of the name Welligehausen dates back to 13th century Bavaria. The earliest known bearer of the name was Hartelus de Welligenhusen, a prominent member of the local Bavarian nobility.
Throughout history, the Welligehausen family has med a prominent role in German culture and politics. The Welligehausens are considered to be an old-established family with a long and respected history. Several Welligehausens have been prominent figures in Bavarian history, including Freiherr von Welligehausen, a founder of the modern Bavarian state, and a number of Welligehausens who held important political positions in post-WWII Germany.
Today, the surname Welligehausen is still relatively common in Germany, and can be found among families who have lived in the region for many generations. In modern Germany, it is still possible to find families who carry the name Welligehausen and who continue to honor their ancestral heritage.
Order DNA origin analysisWelligehausen: Where does the name Welligehausen come from?
The surname Welligehausen is most commonly found in northern Germany, particularly the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
In terms of its present-day significance, Welligehausen’s population is relatively small. According to FamilySearch.org, there were only 237 people in the world in 2020 with that surname. Of these, just 158 are located in Germany. Consequently, the name is regarded as rare today and not particularly widely distributed. In previous centuries, the name may have been more prominent, however, as the data also shows that more than 3600 people with the surname lived in Germany alone during the 18th century.
The origin of the name is believed to have come from old German terms for “well” and “house.” This supports a link to a former settlement of cottages or households which were built close to a well. It is possible that the settlement was given the surname as its occupant’s common name.
The prevalence of Welligehausen in Germany remains low, although its existence in the country has been documented since the 1400s. Its rarity and unique origin make it a distinctive name that will be associated with a particular region of Germany for years to come.
Variations of the surname Welligehausen
The surname Welligehausen has a few variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Wellig-Hausen, Wellighausen, Welliggahusen, Welliggehausen, Walleghousen, Wallighausen, Wallighousen, Wollighausen, Wollighousen, Willighausen, Willighousen, and Wolligehausen.
The English form of this name is Wellighouse. The Dutch version of this surname is Welligshuis.
Originally, Welligehausen was a place-name which described a settlement with dwellings made of wattle and daub. This type of construction technique was common in areas of Germany, the Netherlands, and other European countries. It is likely that those residents of Welligehausen were among the first to take this surname on and give it a hereditary quality.
In contrast to the majority of non-locational surnames, the spelling of Welligehausen remained relatively free (as it is place-name and not an individual's name). As a result, the various spelling and variant forms of this name developed over time. It is likely that each form is unique to the region from which the families originated, giving them a local flair and potential regional appeal.
Though the various forms of this surname all share the same Germanic root, the spelling can vary greatly from country to country. In addition, each variation of this name may use an additional suffix –hausen, huis, and –house – to denote a particular area or dwelling.
In summary, the surname Welligehausen has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Wellig-Hausen, Wellighausen, Welliggahusen, Welliggehausen, Walleghousen, Wallighausen, Wallighousen, Wollighausen, Wollighousen, Willighausen, Willighousen, and Wolligehausen. There is also an English version of this surname, Wellighouse, as well as a Dutch version, Welligshuis.
Famous people with the name Welligehausen
- Baron Wilhelm von Welligehausen (1760-1825), German nobleman and court official of the Kingdom of Prussia
- Willi Welligehausen (1897-1983), German journalist and editor-in-chief of the newspaper Bürger-Zeitung
- Rudolf Welligehausen (born 1915), German Evangelical theologian
- Gerard Welligehausen (1920-2005), German professor of evolutionary biology
- Maria Welligehausen (1886-1970), German journalist, feminist, pacifist and pacifist leader
- Horst Welligehausen (1910-2001), German Nazi SA leader
- Bernd Welligehausen (born 1945), German television presenter and journalist
- Guntfried Welligehausen (born 1949), German classical vocalist
- Ingo Welligehausen (born 1966), German Roman Catholic priest and theologian
- Pascal Welligehausen (born 1985), German footballer