Surname Wiltsee - Meaning and Origin
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Wiltsee: What does the surname Wiltsee mean?
The last name Wiltsee is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Middle High German word “wiltzese,” meaning “smith.” The Wiltsees of Europe are believed to have been of an artisan or craftsman class; in the Middle Ages, a smith would often be referred to by their locality, such as “the smith of town X.” It is therefore thought that the Wiltsees belonged to a particular local family of smiths.
Today, there are numerous variations of the Wiltsee name, such as Wiltshire, Wiltz, Wiltsegger, Wyltsig, Wiltsie, Wiltsee, Wiltzius, and Wiltsieger. The original spelling of Wiltsee likely dates back to the 13th century, when surnames were recorded in the form of diacritical marks and not in the Latin script.
The Wiltsees today are known for their strong work ethic, ambition, and creativity, traits which were developed over hundreds of years of service to their local communities as smiths and craftsmen. The name Wiltsee is associated with a hard-working spirit and loyalty to one’s craft. A Wiltsee is both resourceful and reliable, making them an excellent addition to any team or workplace.
Order DNA origin analysisWiltsee: Where does the name Wiltsee come from?
The last name Wiltsee is primarily found in the United States today, though it has variants all around the world. In the US, it primarily shows up in the areas with a history of German settlement, such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, and Washington.
The first documented use of the surname was in 1666 in the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The first known immigrant to the United States with the Wiltsee name was Johannes Wiltsee, who came to the U.S. with his family in 1752 from the German region of Idar-Oberstein.
The Wiltsee surname can be found in many different records, documents, and books from both North America and Europe. Variations of the name, such as Wiltsie, Wiltshire, and Wiltshire, are seen in some records from the United Kingdom. However, a single pattern in the use of the name is difficult to determine due to the variety of spellings used over the centuries. Many of the spellings, including Wiltsie, Wiltshire, Wiltsie, and Wilce were altered by immigration officials or to integrate with the English language.
The majority of Wiltsee families today in America are found in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Pennsylvania is the state where the first Wiltsee family settled in the United States in the 18th century. Over time, some of the family members moved between states and across the U.S., ensuring that the Wiltsee name can still be found in records all over the country.
Variations of the surname Wiltsee
Wiltsee is a surname of German and Dutch origin. Its variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Wilton/Weltz/Welnse/Weltze/Weltzsch/Weltzke/Welts/Weltse/Weltsele/Weltzle/Willsee/Wilton/Wiltz/Weltse/Wilz/Wilsie/Wiltsee/Wiltse/Witz/Wiltsie/Wiltsche/Wilzke.
Wiltsee itself is a combination of two German words, ‘wil’ meaning 'resolute', 'determined' or 'ready', and 'see' which is the German word for 'lake'. Combined, the surname can mean either ‘ready lake’ or ‘resolute lake’ and likely refers to someone who lived near a lake. Examples of early German immigrants with this name include Jacob Wiltsee who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1731, as well as Henrich and Rosina Wiltsie, who arrived in New York in 1854.
In the Netherlands, variants of Wiltsee are also found, with the earliest record belonging to Willemyntge Weltse, who was in the Netherlands in 1435. In the modern day, Dutch versions of the name include Wiltse/Welts/Weltsen/Welsing/Welsink.
Aside from the German and Dutch spellings of the surname, English variations of the name can be found, all derived from spellings closer to the English language. These include Wiltse/Wilton/Weltz/Weltze/Willsee.
In the past, people with the Wiltsee surname have often changed the spelling of their name as a result of war, diaspora, or simply language changes. As such, many different spellings and variations of the same name have been created over time.
Famous people with the name Wiltsee
- Barrie Wiltsee: Singer and songwriter who appeared on the 2006 season of America's Got Talent.
- Julie Wiltsee: Award-winning women's rights advocate who is currently a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
- William Wiltsee: Renowned industrialist who made his fortune in paper mills and railroads in the late 19th century in New York.
- Charles Wiltsee: Acclaimed photographer whose black-and-white images captured everyday life in the early 20th century.
- Faith Wiltsee: Notable science fiction author of the 1940s and 1950s whose works have been translated into multiple languages.
- Amelia Wiltsee: Canadian artist, best known for her oil and pastel landscape paintings of the Pacific Northwest.
- Stuart Wiltsee: Dedicated civil servant who served as a foreign service officer in Germany after World War II and worked his way up to the rank of Ambassador.
- Faith Wiltsee: Noted poet whose works explored themes of nature and the modern world.
- William Wiltsee: Astronaut who served with NASA during the Apollo 11 mission and traveled to the moon.
- Edward Wiltsee: Award-winning dancer who performed in ballets and musicals across Europe throughout the 1940s and 1950s.