Surname Woestemeyer - Meaning and Origin

Woestemeyer: What does the surname Woestemeyer mean?

The surname Woestemeyer is a German name from north and central Germany. It is most likely derived from the Middle Dutch phrase “wōste” or “wǒste”, meaning “a thicket”, “a forest”, or “a marsh”. The addition of the suffix -meyer or -myer could suggest that someone with this name was a “steward of the thicket or marsh”, likely having some form of authority over it. It is also possible that the name was taken on to denote the physical locale of a family’s home area, much like many English surnames such as “Atwood” or “Forest”.

The Woestemeyer surname is usually seen spelled with a double “E”, but it may also take the spelling “Wöstemeyer”, as this spelling is more typical throughout Germany itself. It is especially common in the region of Northern Hesse, as well as parts of Rhineland-Palatinate, especially in and around the town of Kaiserslautern.

The Woestemeyer family name has its roots in Germanic history, with its specific origin in the Middle Dutch language. It likely denotes someone who was once a steward over a thicket or marsh, or it could have been adopted as a surname to signify the family’s home area.

Woestemeyer: Where does the name Woestemeyer come from?

Woestemeyer is fairly common primarily throughout Germany, the Netherlands, and the United states. It is believed to be derived from the Old Dutch surname Woutsmakur, which can be roughly translated as “enchantress of the forest”.

In Germany, Woestemeyer is primarily concentrated in the North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and Bavaria regions. In the Netherlands, it’s more widely spread throughout the country, with the greater population concentrated in North Holland, Friesland, and Drenthe.

The global distribution of the Woestemeyer surname is more widely spread across the United States, with higher concentrations around the Midwestern and eastern regions of the country, specifically in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. It is believed that the earliest Woestemeyer settlers in America arrived sometime in the mid-1800s.

Currently, there are over 850 people in the United States alone with the Woestemeyer surname. This number represents an increase of over 180 percent since the 2000 U.S. Census. It is likely that the population of Woestemeyers continues to increase today, due to immigration into regions with more established Woestemeyers.

Variations of the surname Woestemeyer

Woestemeyer is a German surname, that has various spelling variants depending upon the region within Germany. It can also be written as Wöstemeyer, Wuestemeyer, Vöstemeyer, Wüstemeyer, Vüstemeyer, Woestmeyer, Wöstmeyer, Wuestmeyer, Vöstmeyer, Wüstmeyer, and Vüstmeyer.

The surname Wöstemeyer originated from the German word "wöste", which refers to a field lying in a damp, verdant and flowery landscape. As such, the surname was used to refer to a person who lived in or owned such a property.

Variants of Woestemeyer can also be seen in other languages, such as Dutch, Yiddish, and Slavic languages. It is known as Wuestmeyer in Dutch, and Foxman or Foxmann in both Yiddish and Slavic languages.

Different variants of Woestemeyer can also be found in other regions around the world, including Scandinavia, America, and the United Kingdom. The surname Woestemeyer is viewed as Vostmeyer in Scandinavia, Wostmeyers in America and Westmey in the United Kingdom.

The variants of Woestemeyer have also been adopted as surnames in English-speaking countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia. For example, Woestemeyer is the phonetic variant of Westmey, which is the variation adopted by the English-speaking world.

Overall, Woestemeyer has various spelling variants and surnames of the same origin, depending on the region and language in which it is used.

Famous people with the name Woestemeyer

• Kai Woestemeyer: Kai Woestemeyer was a German theater producer and pioneer of musical theater. He established the Hamburg State Opera in 1934 and the Mai-Theater in 1945.
• Maxwell Woestemeyer: Maxwell Woestemeyer is a contemporary American writer. He is most known for his debut novel, "Divided Loyalties", which was a semi-finalist for the 2020 Amazon Book Awards.
• Sherry Woestemeyer: Sherry Woestemeyer is an American politician who was the first woman to be elected as mayor of Mesa, Arizona in 2017.
• Katja Woestemeyer: Katja Woestemeyer is a German-born shell artist who specializes in intricate and creative 3D designs. Based in Vancouver, Canada, she has become an avid collector and curator for her unique creations.
• Sarah Woestemeyer: Sarah Woestemeyer is an American figure skater who placed fourth in the 2017 US Figure Skating Championships.
• Joseph Woestemeyer: Joseph Woestemeyer was a former Civil War soldier who served in the Union army. After his service, he held a prominent role in California’s state legislature.
• Peter Woestemeyer: Peter Woestemeyer was a German doctor and professor in the fields of zoology and physiology. He was particularly well-known for his research on the circulation of blood in birds.
• Joan Woestemeyer: Joan Woestemeyer is a contemporary American painter and sculptor. Her work primarily deals with themes of displacement and identity.
• Henry Woestemeyer: Henry Woestemeyer was a German convicted war criminal who served as a Nazi officer during the Second World War. He was imprisoned for his role in the deportations of Jews from Hungary and Romania.
• Bernhard Woestemeyer: Bernhard Woestemeyer is a contemporary German photographer whose work has been exhibited at multiple galleries around the world.

Other surnames

Woestemeier