Surname Winnemuth - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Winnemuth: What does the surname Winnemuth mean?
The last name Winnemuth is of German origin and is derived from the German phrase ‘Winnemuth’, which means ‘German friend’. It is likely that those with the surname Winnemuth are descendants of a person who was considered to be a German friend, or someone of German ancestry.
Tracing the Winnemuth surname back further reveals that it is derived from ‘Winnemuth’, the place name of a village in Germany located in the Upper Rhine region. The village was named after its first settlers, who were members of a Germanic tribe called the Vandals.
We also find a variant of the German ‘Winnemuth’, which is ‘Winemuth’. This is the surname in its closest Anglophile form, as ‘Winnemuth’ is composed of the old German ‘Winen’ (friend) and ‘muth’ (from ‘muot’ meaning people). So the original meaning of the surname ‘Winemuth’ is ‘friend of people’ or ‘people’s friend’.
Overall, the last name Winnemuth suggests a legacy of friendship and camaraderie between German families, many of which may have come to the United States and made a home of their own. Today, many people with the surname Winnemuth continue to proudly carry on the legacy of this special surname.
Order DNA origin analysisWinnemuth: Where does the name Winnemuth come from?
The last name Winnemuth is most common in Germany and other German-speaking areas of Central and Eastern Europe today. The name originated as a surname derived from the given name Winemann (“friend of wine”). It is thought to have originally been a regional nickname. The modern spelling of Winemuth (or Winnemuth) is thought to have come about during the Middle Ages when nicknames became more commonly used as family names.
The most prominent concentration of Quinteros today is in the Berlin-Brandenburg region of Germany. In 2019, Winnemuth was the 10,282nd most common surname in Germany, with 671 people bearing the name. In Northwest Germany it ranked to 8963 (486 people). In South Germany, it was the 9412th (255 people). Clark County, Illinois in the US also contains a significant population with this surname, ranking 986th and accounting for 217 people.
In other regions of the world, such as the US, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, and Australia, the name is quite rare. Even in countries with large German populations, like Russia, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, Winnemuth is not terribly common. The name may have been more popular in the past when many German immigrants settled in these areas.
Variations of the surname Winnemuth
The surname Winnemuth is derived from the name Winemuth, a combination of winemot, an Old English word meaning "friend," and huth, which means "wood." Origin of the name is believed to have been derived from an older generation of German-speaking people who settled in England during the early 11th century. The surname Winnemuth is sometimes spelled with an extra n before the first M, resulting in the name Winennemuth or Wenemuth. Variations of the name, including Winemuth, Winnemuth, Wynemuth, Wynnemuth, Wenemuth, Winenemuth, Wynenemuth, Wynnemuth, and Winenuth, have all emerged over the centuries.
In addition to the above variants, Winnemuth is also be found with the surnames Winnamuth, Winamuth, Winumuth and Winnemuth. The 'W' in Winnemuth may also be replaced by a 'V', creating the name Vinamuth in some instances. Some members of this family may have drawn their surname from other locations, such as Germany, Poland or Austria, and various spellings may be found, including Windemuth or Wendermuth. Different spellings may emerge from various cultural regions and diversified spellings of the surname Winnemuth.
Famous people with the name Winnemuth
- Jay Anthony Winnemuth: academic, professor of computer science and engineering at Ohio State University.
- Gerhard Winnemuth: German-born conductor, composer and writer.
- C. J. Winnemuth: American writer and conservationist best known for his novel The Tin Man's Tale.
- Hermann Winnemuth: German art historian and art collector.
- Eric Winnemuth: German security expert and international relations advisor.
- Peter Winnemuth: German painter and photographer.
- Paul Winnemuth: German Olympic athlete and four-time gold medalist in canoeing.
- Crawford Winnemuth: American director and producer for television and film.
- Dietmar Winnemuth: German football player and coach for SV Wacker 59.
- Sheila Winnemuth: American journalist and screenwriter.