Surname Wien - Meaning and Origin
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Wien: What does the surname Wien mean?
The last name Wien is of German origin and can be traced back to the city of Vienna in Austria. The name is traditionally a toponymic surname, derived from the German word ‘Wien’, which means ‘Big River’, and is likely a reference to the River Danube which flows through the city.
In addition, there are many spellings of Wien, including Wyan, Wyanne, Wyaner, Wyen, Wyane, Wyener, and Byrne. It was most commonly used as a last name and mainly had associations with Austria, however it can be found all over the world as well, including parts of the United States and Canada where German immigrants settled in the 18th century.
Wien is also a popular given name in Northern Germany and the Netherlands; in these countries, the name is related to the German word for ‘friend’ and so, the bearer of this name was thought to be a friendly and kind person.
Overall, the Wien surname is historically associated with Austria and its capital Vienna. It was mainly given as a last name, however it is also a popular given name in parts of Northern Europe. It is often linked to the idea of friendship, having derived from the German word for friend.
Order DNA origin analysisWien: Where does the name Wien come from?
The last name Wien is of German origin, and is spelled variations including Wain, Waine, Wayn, Weyne, Wien and Woyn. It is most commonly found in Germany and its surrounding countries, as well as Austria. In Germany, the name is one of the most common surnames, with about 21,000 people holding the name. In Austria, it is the second most common last name with approximately 8,000 people having the surname.
Outside of Europe, the surname is still quite common, particularly in the United States and Canada. Approximately 41,000 people in the United States are reported to have the Wien surname, and around 2,800 people in Canada, according to data from the 2010 US and Canadian Census. The United States has the largest population of people named Wien living outside of Europe, with people particularly concentrated in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
The surname is less common in other parts of the world, with only a scattering of occurrences in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Honduras, and India. However, it is worth noting that the surname Wien has been recorded in the passenger manifests of some Americans of European descent travelling to these countries around the turn of the 20th century, suggesting that the name has been in these parts of the world for some time.
Variations of the surname Wien
The surname Wien is a German and Jewish variant of the name Wein, which can be used both as a surname and a given name. It is derived from the Middle High German term "wīn" which means "vine".
The variants of the surname Wien include Wien, Weiner, Weim, Wienner, Wein, Weinem, Weimann, Weimin, and Wienmann. Spellings of the name can be found as Win, Weiñ, Wienn, Wyenn, Weyn, Weyna, Weinne, Weinne, and Wenn.
Surnames of the same origin include Weinbauer, Weinbeck, Weineck, Weinhar, Weinherr, Weingard, Weingart, Weinger, Weingold, Weingot, Weinhardt, Weinhaus, Weinhauer, Weinkrantz, Weinkranz, Weinshelbaum, Weinstabl, and Weinstock.
In the United States, this surname is commonly found in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. The surname Wien also has a presence in Latin America, especially in South America and Mexico. This surname is particularly common among Jewish communities, as it is part of the Jewish patronymic system.
The earliest recorded use of this surname can be traced back to the 11th century in Bavaria. The first recorded person with this name was a woman named Cristina Wien, who lived in 1245.
Famous people with the name Wien
- Adolphus Wien, Austrian financier and imperial director of the National Bank of Austria-Hungary.
- Ignaz Wien, Austrian composer and musician.
- Riccardo Wien, Austrian biochemist.
- Ernst Wien, Austrian physicist.
- Carl Wien, Austrian surgeon.
- Guido Wien, Austrian lawyer and vice-president of the Vienna Bar Association.
- Paul Wien, Austrian painter.
- Gottlieb Wien, Austrian painter and graphic designer.
- Johann Georg Wien, Austrian musicologist and composer.
- Gerhard von Wien, Austrian architect.
- Heinrich Wien, Austrian zoologist.
- Gustav Theodor Wien, Austrian politician and member of the Austrian Parliament.
- Gottlieb Wien, Austrian writer.
- Gustav Wien, Austrian lawyer and politician.
- Paul Wien, Austrian physician and author.
- Gustav Wien, German mathematician.
- Oskar Wien, German writer and journalist.
- Hermann Wien, German historian.
- Richard Wien, German entomologist.
- Hermann Wien, German entomologist.
- Paul Wien, German theologian, university lecturer, and author.
- Arnold Wien, American lawyer and corporate executive.
- Edward Wien, American financier, banker and philanthropist.
- Robert Wien, American doctor and author.
- Walter Charles Wien, American electrical engineer and physicist.
- Ronald Wien, American lawyer.
- Richard Wien, American political scientist.
- A. Roy Wien, American author and editor.
- Enid Wien, Canadian author andrienette.
- Ernst Wien, Swiss mathematician and physicist.