Surname Wiedenmayer - Meaning and Origin
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Wiedenmayer: What does the surname Wiedenmayer mean?
The last name WIEDENMAYER is of German origin. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the Middle High German word "widen" meaning “to undo, loosen” or “separate”. The German word “maier” or “mayer” means “mayor”, suggesting that the surname might identify someone who worked as a mayor or magistrate. The surname Wiedenmayer is likely to have been first borne by someone who lived in a place called Wieden, Wied or Weiden, which were places in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The surname Wiedenmayer likely evolved from the Middle High German phrase “an der wieden”, which translates to "at the meadow”, signifying that the surname-bearer was either from a place that was named for its meadows or from an area in which meadows were plentiful.
An additional possible origin of the surname is the Middle High German phrase “an der widmet”, meaning "at the pollard tree". This potentially suggests that the surname-bearer may have come from an area in which pollard trees were common.
The Wiedenmayer name is found throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other parts of continental Europe. In the United States, the name is more commonly spelled Withamay and is derived from the original Wiedenmayer surname.
Regardless of its origin, the surname Wiedenmayer reflects the strength, perseverance and determination of people who have lived in both Europe and the United States for many generations.
Order DNA origin analysisWiedenmayer: Where does the name Wiedenmayer come from?
The last name WIEDENMAYER is mostly found in Germany. It is a German surname, derived from the Germanic elements 'wigand', meaning 'fight', and 'mair', meaning 'mayor' or 'landlord'. Records of people with this surname have been found in Germany's Medieval archives, stretching back to the year 1276.
Today, WIEDENMAYER is most common in southwest Germany, in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, and Lower Saxony. According to Germany's phone book, roughly 6,000 people with this surname currently live there. It is also found in other parts of the world, most notably in Switzerland, Austria, the United States, and Canada.
Since WIEDENMAYER is a relatively uncommon surname, those who have it are likely to know a few others with the same name. Connecting with these distant relatives could help to shed light on the family's history and background.
In addition, many people with this surname have joined genealogical organizations, such as GENI and FamilyTree DNA, in order to discover more about their family's origins. People with the WIEDENMAYER name can use these resources to trace their ancestry back to Germany, or even further back through time.
Variations of the surname Wiedenmayer
The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Wiedenmayer are;
Wiedenmeier, Weidenmaier, Weidenmayer, Weidenmüller, Weidenmeyer, Weidenmair, Weidenmair, Weidenhauer, Weidenheimer, and Vytautas.
The origin of the surname Wiedenmayer is obscure, however, some researchers suggest that it is derived from the Old German 'wiomon' which means a 'place on the meadow'. This could suggest that the geographical origin of the surname was a meadow or field.
The different spellings of the surname Wiedenmayer represent a gradual transition over the years from German to English. In Germany during the late eighteenth century, when the name first entered the records, spelling and pronunciation was not standardized and local dialects were often used when recording someone's name.
The surname Wiedenmayer can be found in variants of spelling throughout Germany and Austria and it has also reached the Netherlands, the United States and other countries. Other variants of the surname include Wiedenmair, which is found in Austria, and Weidenmeier, which is found in parts of Germany.
The surname Wiedenmayer is also found in Lithuanian versions, under the name Vytautas. This version is believed to have been adopted by Lithuanians who returned to their homeland after living in Germany. It is also worth noting that Weidenmair is a surname used by Jewish families, and is thought to be a German version of the surname that predates the adoption of the form Weidenmair by Jewish families in the eighteenth century.
Overall, there are a number of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Wiedenmayer. These variants are a reflection of the sometimes changing and varied nature of surnames over the centuries, as well as of migrations of people to different countries.
Famous people with the name Wiedenmayer
- Peter Wiedemayer: German chess Grandmaster and FIDE Trainer
- Maureen Wiedemayer: American lawyer and worked with the U.S. Department of Justice
- Ulf Wiedemayer: German art historian and author of books on Albrecht Dürer
- Werner Wiedemeyer: German physicist and TU Berlin professor emeritus
- Birgit Wiedemeyer: German-American pilot and former member of the German professional glider pilots team
- Jürgen Wiedemeyer: German actor, director, and theater manager
- Frank Wiedemayer: German composer and piano player
- Manfred Wiedemayer: German professor of biochemistry and biophysics
- Helmut Wiedenmayer: Austrian Paralympic medalist in track and field
- Tanja Wiedenmayer: American figure skater and coach.