Surname Wermund - Meaning and Origin
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Wermund: What does the surname Wermund mean?
The last name Wermund is an occupational name from medieval Germany, translating literally as “war protector”. Historically, it has been most common in Austria and Bavaria.
The roots of the name are derived from the Old High German wer—meaning “protection” or “guard”—and mund—which translates as “hand” or “protection”. Collectively, the name was given to someone who were expected to guard the fortifications in times of war or conflict. In some cases, the name could also refer to someone who was responsible for providing arms and armaments during times of siege.
In terms of origin, the name can be traced back to the early 10th century. At this time, the word wer would have likely been used to denote a person with a martial background and the name Wermund was used to distinguish them from the commoners of the era.
The name is also found in other parts of Europe, specifically in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Today, it is still relatively uncommon and continues to carry martial connotations of command, bravery, and loyal service to one’s country.
Order DNA origin analysisWermund: Where does the name Wermund come from?
The last name Wermund is most commonly found in Germany today. It is especially popular in south-eastern parts of the country, particularly in the states of Brandenburg, Sachsen, and Saxony-Anhalt. Wermund is also found in Switzerland, particularly in the German-speaking canton of Schwyz.
The name is derived from the Old High German given name Wirmunt, which means "protection". In the Middle Ages, this was a very popular name and variations of it can be found in many old documents in German-speaking lands. It eventually gave rise to the surnames Wermund, Wermuth, and Wermut.
The first instance of the surname Wermund appears to be in the 14th century, in the records of a monastery near Hanover. This monastery held records of tenant farmers using the name Wermund, which suggests that the name was already established by that time.
Figures from the website Behind the Name show that the Wermund surname has remained quite rare in modern times. In 2019, the name only ranked 8,629th in Germany out of around 500,000 surnames in the country, suggesting that the name still remains largely concentrated in its traditional heartlands of Brandenburg, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt.
Variations of the surname Wermund
The surname Wermund is derived from the Germanic personal name Wermund, which has its origin in the Old Germanic words "weri" meaning "army," and "mund" meaning "protection." There are several alternate spellings and variants of the surname, all of which preserve the same meaning.
One variant spelling of Wermund is Wermuth, found mainly in Germany and Austria. This spelling commonly survives in surnames meaning "army protection," such as Wermuth-Hoff and Wermuth-Schütte. There are also Dutch variants such as Werdmuller and Werdmüller.
The English version of the surname is Wormwood. The archaic English spelling of this surname is preferred and may sometimes be seen as Wyrmewud. Another variant is the German version, Wermeier, which was commonly found in Bavaria and Franconia.
In the United States, Wermund and its variants are anglicized as Werner, Warman, Warmouth, Warmsley, Warmuth, and Warren. Variants found mainly in France include Germont and Wermet. Wormeldorf is a common variant in parts of Austria and Germany.
The spelling Wermudes or Wermedes is found mainly in Spain, while in Italy the surname is seen with variants such as Vermundi, Vermundo, and Vermiglio. Additionally, in Poland the surname is commonly seen as Werner. As migration and population movements have spread the surname around the world, these variant forms have developed.
Famous people with the name Wermund
- William S. Wermund: Lieutenant in the United States Navy who served in both World War I and World War II.
- Frank Wermund: German footballer.
- Karl Wermund: German director and screenwriter.
- Elmer A. Wermund: American commander in the US Navy.
- Bob Wermund: American illustrator and comic book artist.
- Werner Wermund: German linguist, mainly known as the author of the book "Die Sprachen Europas" ("The Languages of Europe").
- Ernst Wermund: German military officer and General (Heer) of Panzer troops who served during World War II.
- Charlotte Wermund: American voice actress who served as Mickey Mouse's voice for the Disney cartoon Mickey's Christmas Carol.
- Johannes Wermund: Lutheran minister and professor of theology at the University of Königsberg in Prussia.
- Gerhard Wermund: German organ builder of the late Renaissance and Baroque.