Surname Wißkamp - Meaning and Origin
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Wißkamp: What does the surname Wißkamp mean?
The last name Wißkamp is of German origin and is typically found in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia. It is believed to be derived from a place-name where the original bearer lived or held land, believed to be a settlement known as “Wisincamp,” meaning “place of the water” in Old German. Though the spelling of the name has evolved over time, with various spellings now including Wissinkamp, Wissinkampf, Wischkamp, and Wisincamp, the meaning remains the same.
Wißkamp is also a fairly common German surname, ranking among the 200 most common last names in Germany. In the United States, the last name is typically found in large numbers in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Though the origin of the name is known, the specific meaning and history of the Wißkamp surname is unknown. It is likely that the original bearer of the name was a farmer or craftsman living near the settlement of Wisincamp. The surname was likely meant to convey the family’s connection to the place, as families typically kept their surnames for many generations.
Today, the Wißkamp name is still fairly common in Germany and can also be found all over the world among the descendants of German immigrants. While the exact meaning and history of the name is unknown, the “place of the water” meaning associated with the surname may still be meaningful to those descended from the original bearer of the name.
Order DNA origin analysisWißkamp: Where does the name Wißkamp come from?
The last name Wißkamp is most common today in Germany. The name first appeared in recorded history in the 1500s in the city of Norden, located in the state of Lower Saxony. It is also found in other parts of Germany, especially in the cities of Munich, Tuebingen, and Cologne as well as in the towns of Essen and Remscheid located in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The greatest concentration of Wißkamp family members is in the western part of Germany with the largest portion located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, but a significant number are also found in the former East Germany. The name is also found in other European countries like Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
The Wißkamp name is derived from a German word meaning “white camp” which suggests that it is of occupational origin and related to a military connection. It could refer to a military camp with white tents or a soldier who was associated with a particular camp that bore the name of his last name.
The surname has also been anglicised over the years and is found in a number of variant spellings including Weiskamp, Weisskamp, Wisskamp, and Wischkamp. It can also be spelled using the alternate German characters ßrig for ‘s’ and ßung for ’t’.
Variations of the surname Wißkamp
Wißkamp is a German surname originating from Westphalia, an area in western Germany. The name can take on many variants, depending on the location and year of origin. The most common spelling is Wischkamp, which is also recognizable in older records. Other older variants include Wiskamp, Wisckamp, Wischkopf, Wiskampf, and Wiskampff. In modern times, Wischkamp is the most common spelling, but other spellings such as Wischkopf, Wiskampf, and Wischamp are still in use.
In Germany, some families with the surname Wischkamp or Wisckamp also use the name Waßkamp, a diminutive form of the name. The spelling Waskamp is also widespread in versions with continental orthography. Other Memorial Book entries use spelling variations such as Wischkam, Wischkaempp, Wischkampf, or Wisskamp.
Outside of Germany, Wischkamp is also used in countries such as the United States, Canada and South America. In countries like the United States, the name is sometimes found as Weiskamp, Weiscamp, Wischamp or Wiskamp.
Furthermore, an abbreviation of Wischkamp, Wis., is often used in the USA. In England, an early variant of the name was spelled as Vischkam, while in Scotland the spelling Vischamp was used. The spelling Butschkamp is also found in some lines of the Wischkamp family.
In conclusion, the surname Wischkamp has taken on many different spellings in different locations around the world. These variants are often the result of different pronunciations of the name in different countries, and variations in time-period specific spelling conventions.
Famous people with the name Wißkamp
- Andreas Wißkamp: Former professional footballer who played in both the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga.
- Marco Wißkamp: Professional footballer who has represented Germany on the U21 national team.
- Hans Wilhelm Wißkamp: German Army officer who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his service in World War II.
- Jürgen Wißkamp: Former football manager and retired professional footballer who played in the Bundesliga.
- Hermann Wißkamp: German politician and local councillor who was involved in the CDU (Christian Democratic Union).
- Clara Wißkamp: German actress who appeared in both television and stage performances.
- Norbert Wißkamp: German flyweight boxer who competed in three different Olympic Games, winning gold in 1968.
- Leonhard Wißkamp: German serial killer and rapist who was active in Hamburg in the 1940s and 1950s.
- Bernd Wißkamp: Award-winning German architect and urban designer.
- Julius Wißkamp: German nature painter and graphic artist who is remembered for his vivid depictions of plants and animals.
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Comments or additions to the name "Wißkamp"
10.11.2024
When the Americans saw my father’s signature with “ß” in it(at a prisoner of war release camp) they mistook it as ‘hs’. Due to this Americanized spelling after WWII, when my family immigrated to Canada in 1953, Canadian immigration papers registered the name in Canada as Wihskamp. So for four Wiẞkamps in Canada we spelled our name Wihskamp. Parents are deceased and the two daughters married, so line of Wihskamp has now ended. (Place of birth of my father Bieren, Westphalia).