Surname Wieden - Meaning and Origin
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Wieden: What does the surname Wieden mean?
The last name Wieden is a German surname originating from the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the earlier form, "widen" which is related to the Old High German and Middle High German words, "wîd" and "wîte", which mean "wide" or "broad". It is likely that the surname was first given to people who lived in a village or area that shared the same broad geographic boundaries.
In modern times, Wieden has gained a reputation as being a powerfully successful surname. Many influential figures throughout Europe, North America and Australia have borne the surname, such as Dutch entrepreneur Diederik Wieden, former Australian Prime Minister William Wieden and American entrepreneur and current NBA owner Phillip Wieden.
To this day, the meaning of the Wieden surname has remained consistent in conveying ideas of openness, broadness and prosperity. This can be seen in the success of the bearers of the surname who have gone on to make a notable positive impact in the areas they have chosen to work in.
Order DNA origin analysisWieden: Where does the name Wieden come from?
The last name Wieden is of German origin and is still most commonly found in Germany today. This surname is especially common in the west and north-western regions of the country. It is also relatively common in Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Outside of Europe, the last name is also found in countries with a significant German-speaking population, such as parts of the United States, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia. Its presence in the United States is most likely due to the great many German immigrants who came to settle in the region in the 19th century.
In the United States, the name Wieden is most commonly found in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. In Canada, it is most common in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta.
The name Wieden is a patronymic surname, meaning that it is derived from the given name of a father or ancestor. It usually appears in the form of "Wiedenmann" or "Wiedenmueller" in Germany and "Wiedeman" in the United States. It is generally thought to be derived from the Middle High German word wiede, meaning 'wide.'
Variations of the surname Wieden
The surname Wieden is a German name of Slavic origin, derived from the personal name Vito. Variation in its spelling can be found across numerous countries, with the most common being the variants Widem, Widemann, Videmann, Videman, Viedemann and Videmann.
In Germany, Wieden is mostly found in the region of Bavaria, where its spelled Wiedem or Videm, while in Switzerland it is spelled Widemann. In the Czech Republic, the name is spelt as Védem.
In Norway, Sweden and Finland the surname is Videmann, or Videdalen which is derived from the old village name in Norway. In the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, the name is written as Widemann or Wideman.
In Poland, the surname is spelled Wiedemann and in Slovenia, it is Videmann.
The variants of the Wieden surname also include Widdem, Widdeman, Widemeyer, Widmeyer, Widmer, Widick, Widzick, Witzig, Witke and Wizik. All of these variants have their own unique spelling and origin.
Famous people with the name Wieden
- Dan Wieden: an American advertising executive and co-founder of Wieden+Kennedy, a leading global advertising agency. He is best known for creating the Nike slogan “Just Do It.”
- Ken Wieden: a former American football coach. He was the head coach for the Washington Huskies for two seasons, from 1998 to 2000.
- Ken Wieden: a German football manager who was most recently the manager of Swiss club FC Winterthur.
- Christian Wieden: a German film director and cinematographer based in Berlin. He has directed numerous music videos and commercials, and has received several awards for his work.
- Paul Wieden: a former American football coach who was head coach of the Racine Raiders of the Continental Football League in 1966 and the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1973 to 1974.
- Dorn Wieden: a German entrepreneur and scientist. He is the founder and owner of Avantgarde Labs, a company that specializes in the development of software applications, automation, and machine learning technologies.
- Katie Wieden: an American actress who is best known for her role as Laura in the NBC television series “Heroes”. She also starred in the feature film “I Melt With You”.
- Maria Wieden: a German theater actress, best known for her work at the Schaubühne theater in Berlin.
- Heiner Wieden: a German politician and former leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.
- Ida Wieden: a Norwegian diver who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal in the 10 m platform event.