Surname Wiffen - Meaning and Origin

Wiffen: What does the surname Wiffen mean?

The last name Wiffen is of English origin and dates back hundreds of years. It is believed to have originated in the early Anglo-Saxon period of England, before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The name Wiffen is derived from the Old English word "wif" which means to weave or tinker. This is why the earliest recorded spelling of the name Wiffen appears as Guifran in the Domesday Book, implying that members of the family were skilled weavers and tinkerers.

The Wiffen surname has many variant spellings, including Wiffan, Wiffin, Wiffon and Wiffens, as well as Wiff, Wiffene and Wiffan. All of these variants are attributed to this same Anglo-Saxon origin.

The name Wiffen can be found in several places around the world today, suggesting that this surname has spread far beyond England over the centuries.

The coat of arms for the family Wiffen includes a blue fesse on a silver field. It is topped with three black or gold roundels, suggesting a weaving or tinkering motif, much like the source of the family name.

The Wiffen surname is a reminder of the family’s deeply rooted history and the skill that members of the family have had for centuries.

Wiffen: Where does the name Wiffen come from?

The last name Wiffen is believed to be of English origin and is most commonly found in the United Kingdom and other former British colonies, such as Canada. It may also be found in other countries with citizens of English heritage, such as the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

In England, the Wiffen surname appears most prominently in the counties of Surrey, Oxford, Kent, Essex, and Hertford. Surrey, in particular is said to be the heartland of the surname since the Wiffen family’s nineteenth-century migration from Devon to Surrey. In Canada, the surname is most likely to be found in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Those bearing the Wiffen name trace their ancestry to Thomas Wiffen, who in 1536-8 was appointed as chief ranger of the King’s hunting forest in Dartmoor. This appointment provided the Wiffen family with a hereditary title, and over subsequent centuries, the Wiffen name spread throughout England and beyond.

Today, the Wiffens are a well-known family of the English gentry. Notable examples include Dr. Cyril Wiffen, a noted British psychiatrist, and Jack Wiffen, an officer in the British Army during World War II. The name still carries considerable prestige today, which is likely why it is still found in multiple countries around the world.

Variations of the surname Wiffen

The surname Wiffen has variants, alternate spellings and other surnames derived from a common root. It can be spelled Wiifen, Wifen, Wiffen, Wihan and Wiffan. It has also been known to have been recorded with such variant spellings as Wiffon, Wyffon, Wyffen, Wyffin, Wiffing, Wiffens, Wiffins and Wiffin.

Wiffen is a surname derived from the Old English name Wigferth, meaning victory or victorious. It later took on a variety of spellings due to variations in the way many old names were written down and interpreted. Surnames that are associated with Wiffen are Wifen, Wyffen, Wiffins and Wiffin.

Wiffen is also found as a surname in other parts of Europe. In Germany it is spelled Wiffen or Wihan, the Dutch spelling is Wyffen, and in Sweden it is Wiffan.

Furthermore, a few other surnames contain the same root as Wiffen. These include Woffen, Woffing, Woffenbarger and Woffington.

The Wiffen surname is found throughout the English-speaking world, particularly in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the United States. It is also quite common in Europe, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands. Thus, in Australia, Canada and the United States this name may be of Scottish or English origin, while in Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe it may have a Germanic, Dutch or Scandinavian origin.

Famous people with the name Wiffen

• Onrae Antoine Wiffen: Professional Mixed Martial Artist
• Shaun Wiffen: Bass player, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist
• Howard Wiffen: former Anglican Bishop of Norwich
• Adam Wiffen: English cricketer
• Jane Wiffen: British historian of Roman Italy
• Sam Wiffen: British entrepreneur, investor, and executive chairman
• Paul Wiffen: English cricketer
• Theobald Wiffen: English poet and captain in the British Army
• George Wiffen: English botanist
• Richard Wiffen: British Clergyman and botanist

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