Surname Wilhoit - Meaning and Origin
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Wilhoit: What does the surname Wilhoit mean?
The last name Wilhoit is of German origin, and has had many different variations over the centuries including Wilcott, Willcott, and Wilkett. It originally meant ‘will’, but changed in meaning over time to ‘little’ or ‘small’.
Wilhoit is a relatively rare name, and is thought to be derived from a nickname or title, rather than a location. It could have been used to identify individuals of humble stature or just a person with a lower social status. It is believed to have also been an occupational surname given to artisans who specialized in making small, intricate items such as toolmakers and goldsmiths.
The Wilhoit family is believed to have been established in France before spreading out to other parts of Europe. In England, records indicate the family had settled in Yorkshire and Lancashire by the time of the Middle Ages, and the name appeared in the earliest London Church records in 1743.
Today the surname Wilhoit is found mainly in the United States and United Kingdom. Its frequency in the US is highest in the state of Tennessee, where research has shown at least 70 families with the surname were living in 1810.
Whether it is derived from a profession or an adjective, the surname Wilhoit is an interesting one, with an inspiring history of over 500 years.
Order DNA origin analysisWilhoit: Where does the name Wilhoit come from?
The last name Wilhoit is common in the United States, especially in the Eastern and Midwestern states. According to the website Forebears.io, Wilhoit is most common in Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Illinois. However, there are numerous instances of families bearing the name across the entire country.
In 2020, research performed by Ancestry.com revealed that the surname had a population of more than 32,300 people living in the United States. Wilhoit is an especially common surname in small towns and rural areas. While it is likely to find someone with the last name in most cities, the prevalence of the surname in rural areas increases its visibility making it more likely to come across people with the name in small towns.
The ancestry of the Wilhoit name is largely Germanic. The name likely originated from a combination of two Germanic words: ‘wil’ meaning ‘will’ and ‘hoidt’ or ‘heide’ meaning ‘heath’. As such, it could be translated as ‘will of the heath’.
In summary, the Wilhoit last name is most common in the Eastern and Midwestern states of the United States. The ancestry of the name is Germanic and it is especially prevalent in small-town and rural areas.
Variations of the surname Wilhoit
The Wilhoit surname can be found in many variant spellings and surnames. Some of the most common include Willhoite, Willhite, Wilhite, Wilhight, Wilkite, Wilcoit, Wilkot, Wilcutt, Wilcott, Willet, Willett, Willetts, Wilcut, Willcutt, Willhight, Willkite, Wylhite, Wylkite, Wilkott, Wylcutt, and Wylcoit.
The spelling Wilhoit is most likely derived from the old Germanic name Weilhelm, which means "will" and "helmet." It is believed that this name originated as a personal byname, perhaps given by a parent to their child and carried on through generations in the family.
The bulk of the Wilhoit families in America today can be traced to Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia in the 18th century. This suggests that they came from Germanic-speaking lands (likely in Germany, Austria or Switzerland) as part of a larger immigrant group.
Although rare, Wilhoit families can also be found in other parts of the world, including Ireland (by the Irish name Mac Philib), in England, Canada, Australia, and in South Africa (by the Afrikaans name Wilhuit).
So as we see, the same origin can be found amongst many different spellings and surnames stemming from the original Germanic name Weilhelm. The Wilhoit name serves as a reminder of our ancestry and a great example of the diversity of our origins.
Famous people with the name Wilhoit
- Aidan Wilhoit: professional Soccer player
- Brian Wilhoit: American television producer
- Chance Wilhoit: singer/songwriter and former child actor
- Cayleigh Wilhoit: British Actress
- Claire Wilhoit: American sculptor
- Chris Wilhoit: former professional American Football player
- Donald Wilhoit: former professional baseball player
- Heather Wilhoit: American voice actress
- James Wilhoit: American college professor
- Kurt Wilhoit: American guitarist
- Mark Wilhoit: former professional baseball player
- Michael Wilhoit: American film and television composer
- Sam Wilhoit: American entrepreneur and film producer
- Stephen Wilhoit: Professional bass player
- Tom Wilhoit: former professional American Football player