Surname Wiards - Meaning and Origin

Wiards: What does the surname Wiards mean?

The last name Wiards is of German origin. It is derived from the name “Wieder”, which means spouse or partner. As a result, the name originally referred to someone who was related by marriage or had taken a partner.

The name Wiards is a variant spelling of the word “Wieder”, which translates to “widowed” in modern English. This links the name to a widow who had either been married or joined such a union. It was likely common for people in this situation to take on a variation of the name to mark their new status.

This surname has several alternate spellings, including Wiard, Wier, Wiers, Wierz, Weir, Weers, Wyers, and Wyerz. Wiard is the most common variant. Early records show the name Wiards can be found in many parts of Germany, including in Weser, Saxony, Brandenburg, and Prussia.

In the United States, the name Wiards was first documented in the early 1700s. People with the name Wiards can be found in all parts of the country today. A notable bearer of the surname was broadway composerand lyricist Richard Wiards.

Overall, the name Wiards can be traced to both German and American origins. It was likely used to denote someone related by marriage or widowhood, and has since been adopted by individuals of different backgrounds.

Wiards: Where does the name Wiards come from?

The last name Wiards is primarily found in the United States, although there are a few scattered families of the name around the world.

In the US, the majority of Wiards are found in the Midwest. The states with the highest concentration of the name are Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, and Minnesota. It also occurs in Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Kansas. Many of these states were settled by German immigrants, which is likely the source of the surname. According to Ancestry.com, the family migrated from Germany to the US in the 1700s.

Wiards are also found in other parts of the world, including Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, France, and Australia. The greatest concentration of the name outside of the US is in Canada.

Wiards is not a particularly common name, but it does show up occasionally in records from around the world. The surname is often spelled "Wiards" or "Wyards," so it is important to be aware of variations when researching individuals with this name.

Variations of the surname Wiards

The Wiards surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have derived from the pre-seventh century word "wyrd", meaning fate or destiny. The name is also sometimes found spelled as Wierd, Wyeths, Wiers, Wares, Wyerd, Wyers, Weir, Weard, and Ward. There are also variants of the surname that are not related to the original Wisard name, such as Wier, Viers, Veirs, and Weyer.

The surname was likely first found in the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, and other counties in England. There is also a Wyeths Parish in Devonshire.

The earliest record of the surname in Britain was found there in the year 972, when Godwin Wyeths was listed in the Saxon Chronicles of the year 972. The surname was also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, when a Robert Wierd appears in the Records. Abbot of Alcester in 1147 was John de Wiard and the Coupulary of Veryan1173 mentions William de Weire.

The Wiards surname can also be traced to Scotland in the 16th century, when a John Wiards was listed in Aberdeen. Records from 1580 listed Neil Wiards in Ayrshire, and a John Wards in 1633 in Renfrewshire.

In Germany, the surname is found as Veir or Wierd, in both cases derived from the Schleswig-Holstein region. In the Netherlands, the surname is most commonly found as Weerd or Weir, derived from the Lower Rhineland region, and is usually of German origin.

Famous people with the name Wiards

• Peter Wiards: Peter Wiards is an Emmy Award-winning motion graphics artist and animation director. He was the creative director and animation supervisor at Nickelodeon Animation Studios and directed episodes of Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, CatDog, and Family Guy.
• George Wiards: George Wiards was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked briefly with Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. During his career, he became closely associated with the guitarist Tal Farlow and the vibraphonist Red Norvo.
• Arthur Wiards: Arthur Wiards was an English architect active from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. Most notably, he is the architect credited with the designs of the Tower of the Winds and the Temple of Athena Nike in Athens, Greece.
• Hugh Wiards: Hugh Wiards was a film producer and television producer who worked for Universal, MGM, and RKO. He produced such films as The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and The Rains Came.
• Scott Wiards: Scott Wiards is an American psychotherapist, writer, and speaker who specializes in anxiety, depression, and relationships. He is the author of the book "Thriving With Anxiety: From Surviving to Actualizing Your True Potential".

Other surnames

WiardaWiardi