Surname Wexler - Meaning and Origin
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Wexler: What does the surname Wexler mean?
The last name Wexler is generally accepted to have originated in Germany. It can be derived from the German phrase “Wecseler,” which means “trader” or “merchant”. Due to this origin, it is believed that the ancestors of those with the Wexler surname were merchants who worked in the trade or banking industry.
The use of the last name Wexler is believed to have spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages as merchants and bankers conducted their business on a larger scale, trading with merchants in other countries. The Wexler surname was also likely adopted by Jewish people of Central or Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages.
The Wexler name is found in many places today. In the United States, it is most common in northeast and mid-Atlantic states, with some concentration in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. It can also be found in other English-speaking countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
The name Wexler can be a proud symbol of its successful origins as a symbol of the family's merchants, traders, and bankers. The name remains today, a sign of wealth and success, as well as a reminder of the family's long-standing tendency toward international trade. It is a testament to the family's legacy of hard work, enterprise, and success.
Order DNA origin analysisWexler: Where does the name Wexler come from?
Wexler is a German-Jewish name of Ashkenazic origin. Today it is most common in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada. According to AncestryDNA, the top ten states with the highest populations of Wexlers are California, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio.
In California, the most Wexlers are found in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metropolitan area. In New York, they are primarily located in the New York City metropolitan area. Pennsylvania and New Jersey both have significant populations in the greater Philadelphia area. Maryland, Massachusetts, and Florida have sizable Wexler populations located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area, the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area, and the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area, respectively. The highest populations in Illinois and Ohio, can be found in the Chicago metropolitan area and the Cleveland-Elyria metro respectively.
Outside North America, Wexler is not as common of a last name. Countries with small populations of Wexlers include the United Kingdom, Israel, and Germany. Wexler is not a particularly common surname in any of these countries, though records do exist.
The Wexler name has been increasingly popular in recent years, especially in the United States. There are now over 7,800 Wexler families living in the U.S. with an estimated 3,400 Wexler households in California alone.
Variations of the surname Wexler
The surname Wexler is of German and Ashkenazi Jewish origin. Common spellings and variants of the surname Wexler include Wechsler, Wachsler, Waxler, Vexler, Vechsler and Vechsler. Less common variants of Wexler range from Weissler to Wexell and Wixler.
Waxler is a commonly encountered spelling of the Wexler surname, and likely derived in part from the root word 'wachs', which means candle in German. This variation likely arose due to changes in pronunciation and spelling over time.
The surnames Wixler and Wexell are likely derived from Wisseler, which is derived from the German root word 'wissel', which means lender. This variation is thought to have occurred due to clerical errors as some of the early records of this surname were handwritten and recorded in the late medieval period.
The surnames Vexler, Vechsler and Vechsler instead likely emerged due to changed pronunciation of the name Wexler, although the exact origin of these spellings is difficult to trace. It is thought that the altered spellings may indicate an origin in Austria or the Czech Republic.
The surname Wechsler, meanwhile, has a separate origin to the Wexler surname, and likely derived from the root word 'wechel', which means change or exchange. This Germanic word was likely adopted from the Old High German word 'werc', which also meant exchange.
Overall, the Wexler surname is a relatively common surname, and many historical variants and spellings have arisen over time due to changes in pronunciation, clerical errors and alternative origins.
Famous people with the name Wexler
- Bill Wexler: award-winning television producer and vice president of production for ABC News
- Hank Wexler: engineer and audio expert best known for his pioneering work in re-recording sound for film
- Larry Wexler: noted entertainment attorney and business manager based in Los Angeles
- Morris Wexler: biologist and emeritus professor at the University of Connecticut
- Julie Wexler: Broadway actress and choreographer
- Cal Wexler: television production manager and freelance sound technician
- Ed Wexler: photographer and visual artist
- Robert Wexler: former U.S. congressman from Florida
- Harry Wexler: meteorologist and polar scientist from the early 20th century
- Nathan Wexler: musician, composer, and producer