Surname Witthon - Meaning and Origin
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Witthon: What does the surname Witthon mean?
The last name Witthon is of German origin and is derived from the old Germanic personal names “Witte” and “Hrun”, which, combined, mean “white person” or “person of white colour”. This last name is believed to have developed among early Germanic tribes who used this surname to distinguish people who had Venetian or Frankish features.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Witthon was in 1614 in the Brandenburg region of Germany. In England, the first recorded use of the surname was in 1606, when a rose grower who had immigrated to Lincolnshire named John Witthon was recorded as having his name entered into the court rolls.
The name Witthon can still be found widely across Germany in many different forms, including Wittheun, Wittmann, Witting and Wittinghoff. In Germany, the spelling usually favours the “Witthon” form.
The most popular origin of the name is as an occupational name, referring to people who had settled in this part of Germany as looking to be white with fair skin and hair. Other potential meanings of the name may include “son of the white-haired one”, “son of the man of the white house” or simply “white man”.
Over the past few centuries, this surname has come to be associated with intelligence, industriousness and ambition, in addition to those fair features. Today, the surname is still found all over the world and any people with the surname are proud to carry it.
Order DNA origin analysisWitthon: Where does the name Witthon come from?
The last name Witthon is of German origin and is still found in Germany today. It typically originates from the former Prussian Province of East Prussia, where it is primarily found in towns such as Osterode, Johannisburg, and Nakel. The name is also common in some areas of North Rhine-Westphalia and is present in the Low German dialects of East and North Germany.
In America, the Witthon surname is most prominently found in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois, due to the significant number of German immigrants that came to these areas during the 19th century. This large influx of individuals, all connected by the common bond of the same last name, created an especially strong presence of the Witthon family name in the US.
In addition to these two states, a limited number of individuals bearing the Witthon name can also be found in North Carolina, South Dakota, and Pennsylvania. Advances in technology have made it easier for individuals to trace their heritage, so it is not unusual for people from all over the world to find others with the same last name in their own family trees.
The surname Witthon may not be as common today as times past, but it still remains well-known to those who can trace their ancestry to Prussia and the areas of the US associated with German settlement.
Variations of the surname Witthon
The surname Witthon is an extremely rare one, originating from Germany. It is typically spelled as Witthon, Witton, Wittohn, Witten, Widtohn, Wytton, Widtohn, Wython, Wythen, or Wydon, though these spellings may all vary depending on the region.
The surname Witthon may also appear in other languages, though usually spelled different. For example, it may be spelled as Wittenhagen in parts of Scandinavia, Oudt in the Netherlands, and Ingels in France.
The earliest recorded occurrence of this last name dates back to the 1600s when variations of the name Witthon were used in Berlin, Germany.
The surname originates from the German word “witten,” which means “white” or “light.” This could be a reference to the physical appearance or personality of someone who bears the name. Additionally, the surname may be derived from an ancestral occupation—most likely one involving the field of armory.
The Witthon surname can still be found today in Germany, but is more commonly seen in other parts of the world. In the United States, it is found mostly in Pennsylvania and Virginia in significant numbers. It is also found in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, among other places.
Overall, the surname Witthon is a rare one, with many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin; however, these names are all connected by a shared origin and meaning in the German language.
Famous people with the name Witthon
- Maren Witthohn: German actress best known for her roles in the German-language television series Neues aus der Anstalt and Dort oben.
- Marianna Witthohn: German oil painter and engraver known for creating genre scenes, still lifes, and portraits often featuring women and children.
- Erwin Witthohn: German footballer active during the 1970s and 1980s. He played professionally for SV Lippstadt 08 and MSV Preussen.
- Louis Witthohn: German painter, illustrator, etcher, and lithographer who specialized in animal paintings.
- Heinz Witthohn: German Politician and member of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union).
- Hans Witthohn: German musician and composer, best known for his compositions of light music and German folk songs.
- Maximilian Witthohn: German surgeon and professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University.
- Peter Witthohn: German industrial engineer and business executive, most notably as executive at Siemens AG.
- Joachim Witthohn: German ambassador and political scholar, most notably as head of the Berlin Office of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
- Heinrich Witthohn: German sculptor, best known for his public monuments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.