Surname Wiegräbe - Meaning and Origin
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Wiegräbe: What does the surname Wiegräbe mean?
The last name Wiegräbe is a German surname derived from the Old German word “wieck” which means “fence” or “enclosure.” The surname therefore likely originally referred to a person or family living in or near an enclosed area, such as an enclosed farmstead or a manor house.
The surname Wiegräbe is found primarily in northern and central Germany, with its highest concentration in the state of Brandenburg. It is also found in Austria, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Wiegräbe is believed to be derived from the Medieval personal name Wido, which is an Italianized form of Udo, a given name popular in German-speaking Europe during the Middle Ages. Udo is a short form of various Germanic names beginning with the element “udu” meaning “prosperity and fortune.”
In modern times, the Wiegräbe surname retains its Germanic roots and is still quite common in northern and central Germany. It is also beginning to spread to the south and east of the country. Those who bear this surname can expect to find people with the same family name in regions that still have significant German-speaking populations.
Order DNA origin analysisWiegräbe: Where does the name Wiegräbe come from?
The last name Wiegräbe is most commonly found in Germany, where it originated. It is one of the oldest surnames in Germany, and has been recorded in various documents as early as the 13th century. In modern times, the Wiegräbe surname can be found throughout Germany, particularly in the states of Bavaria, Saxony, and Baden-Württemberg. It is also quite popular in the bordering countries of Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
The Wiegräbe surname is thought to have evolved from the German word wige, which means 'to fight'. It is likely to have been used as an occupational name by a person who was a soldier or a warrior. Over the centuries, the surname has gone through various orthographical adaptations, but its meaning has remained the same.
Popular variations of the surname include Wiegeräbe, Wiegraebe, Wigeleben, Widrick, Wigger, Wiggen, Wiggerich, Wiegerich, Wiggers, Wigere, and Wigge. The popularity of the Wiegräbe surname is likely to continue to grow as more records are digitised and made available online, making it easier to research and trace one's ancestral origins.
Variations of the surname Wiegräbe
The surname Wiegräbe is derived from the Germanic name Welgirab, composed of two components: "Welg" meaning "foreigner" and "irab" meaning "raven". This surname is derived from a nickname for someone who was new in town or a foreigner in the community.
The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Wiegräbe include the following.
Wieg (German)
Wiegh (German)
Weygirab (Old German)
Wiegel (German)
Weigle (German)
Wiegelrath (German)
Wigle (German)
Wigles (German)
Wiglesworth (English)
Wigley (English)
Wigg (English)
Wiggen (German)
Wiggers (German)
Wiggin (English)
Wiggins (English)
Wigman (German)
Wigmore (English)
Wigram (English)
Wigrum (Swedish)
Wigrup (Swedish)
Weegrib (Dutch)
Weygrub (Metis Native American)
Weegrab (Dutch)
In the United States, the variants of Wiegräbe are more likely to be spelled as Wigley, Wigram, Wigley, and Wiggin, whereas in the United Kingdom, more variations are in circulation such as Wigley, Wigger, Wigmore, and Wigman.
In countries of Germanic origin, variations such as Wieg, Wiegh, Weygirab, Wiegel, and Weigle are common. Furthermore, the Swedish spellings of Wigrum and Wigrup have been found. Furthermore, the Dutch variants Weegrib and Weegrab and the Metis Native American variant Weygrub have also been found.
No matter the spelling, all of these variations are derived from the same origin and can be traced to the surname Wiegräbe.
Famous people with the name Wiegräbe
- Ernst August Wiegräbe (1856-1912): was a German pathologist and bacteriologist.
- Maximilian Wiegräbe (1842-1912): was a German surgeon and professor of anatomy and embryology at the University of Jena.
- Gustav Wiegräbe (1873-1955): was a German neurologist and psychiatrist.
- Otto Wiegräbe (1869-1954): was a German zoologist.
- Johann Heinrich Wiegräbe (1776-1841): was a German theologian and philosopher.
- August Wiegräbe (1857-1930): was a German geologist.
- Ludwig Wiegräbe (1846-1917): was a German artist.
- Karl Wiegräbe (1844-1917): was a German physician.
- Johann Wiegräbe (1810-1880): was a German landscape painter.
- Max Wiegräbe (1876-1944): was a German geographer.