Surname wentzel - Meaning and Origin
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wentzel: What does the surname wentzel mean?
The surname Wentzel is a German name that dates back to at least the 13th century. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the personal name of the father of the original bearer. In this case, the name Wentzel is derived from the personal name Winston, a name derived from Old German words wini and ston that roughly translate to “friend” and “stone” respectively, when combined offering a meaning of “friendly stone”.
The Wentzel surname would have been given to a person whose father was named Winston and was popularized by the Knights of the Teutonic Order in the 13th century in the area of Prussia. It was initially found in Prussia and is now a common name throughout Germany, as well as areas of Austria, Switzerland, and Poland.
The Wentzel name has become well known in the fields of politics, music, sports, and the military in recent years. Among its many notable bearers, Kurt Wentzel was a famous German physicist. Reinhold Kaindl from the 16th century was a famous composer, and former Major League Baseball pitcher George R. Wentzel was also a bearer of the name.
The Wentzel surname can also be found in the United States, the result of many German immigrants from the 18th and 19th centuries, some of whom would have had the surname Wentzel. It is believed that thousands of people with the Wentzel name now reside in the United States.
Order DNA origin analysiswentzel: Where does the name wentzel come from?
The surname Wentzel is a German surname originating in what is now modern-day Germany. It developed as a patronymic surname, taking the root form Wentz, which is found in many German speaking areas. Variations of the surname include Wenzl, Wenzel, and Wintz, among others.
Today, the surname Wentzel can be found throughout Germany, the United States, Canada, and other countries around the world. In the United States, it is estimated that the surname is most commonly found in the Midwestern and Eastern regions of the country. It is also found in parts of Canada, particularly in Ontario.
In recent times, the high migration of people from Germany has led to the dispersal of the name throughout the world. This has made the Wentzel surname much more prevalent in different countries. It is estimated that over a million people carry the Wentzel surname today, with large concentrations of the family in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
In conclusion, the last name Wentzel is common in many areas around the world today, particularly in Germany, the United States, and Canada. Its prevalence in other countries is likely due to the high level of migration in recent times from other countries with German roots. In any case, the Wentzel family is dispersed throughout the world and continues to grow in numbers every day.
Variations of the surname wentzel
The surname Wentzel is most commonly spelled as Wentzell or Wentzl. Other possible spellings include Wentzelle, Wenzl, Wencel and Wintzell. The Wentzel surname is generally of German or Swiss origin and is thought to be derived from the Germanic given name Wintz, meaning “friend”. It is also speculated that the surname originated from the German and Latin word “goentz”, which means a “God”.
The Wentzel surname has a number of variations, including the German variant Ventsel (also spelled as Fentsl, Fentzle, Wenstl, Wenzel and almost any other variation), Wanszczul (in Poland), Wenzel (in Switzerland), Wenzelberger (in Austria) and Wintsel (in Denmark). It is also found in the form of Ventselle, Wenzelmann and Wenzeler, among others.
In some cases, the Wentzel surname can also take the form of the title-like surname Venturer (with the form Ventur). Ventur or Wentur is also a surname found in Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium, and it may have been derived from the Old German word “goenteri” which means “God be with him.”
In the United States, the Wentzel surname may also be found in the form of Vanzant, a certain distillation of the name, and Wintzell, a double-barreled name combining the given names Wintz and Ell. Any of these labels could therefore be considered to be variants, spellings, and/or surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name wentzel
- Ezra Wentzel: A YouTuber who specializes in vlogs, travel, and lifestyle content.
- Erich Wentzel: An Austrian economist and professor at the University of Innsbruck.
- Stephen Wentzel: An American Olympic swimmer, who competed at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics in the 100 m and 200 m butterfly events.
- Michael Wentzel: A former professional golfer who competed on the European Tour and the PGA Tour.
- Louis Wentzel: An American theater and film actor who has appeared in numerous plays, films, and TV series, including “The Goonies”.
- Otto Wentzel: A German soldier who fought in World War I as a member of the infantry regiment 54.
- Erik Wentzel: An American former professional snowboarder who has competed in multiple Winter X Games events.
- Harry Wentzel: A former American jazz saxophonist who was a key member in Stan Kenton’s orchestra from 1945 to 1946.
- Bertha Wentzel: An early 20th-century American photographer known for her portraits of children, landscapes, and still lifes.
- Brendon Wentzel: A Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a member of the Calgary Flames from 1991 to 1995.