Surname Wolkersdorfer - Meaning and Origin
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Wolkersdorfer: What does the surname Wolkersdorfer mean?
The last name Wolkersdorfer is of Germanic origin and refers to a person who lived in or near a small German village. The name is composed of two elements: ‘Wolker’ which means ‘village’ and ‘dorfer’ which means a ‘village’ or ‘small settlement’. The literal translation of the name is ‘villager of the village'.
A person bearing the surname Wolkersdorfer may have originated from a village that has since disappeared or simply a person with ancestral roots there. Its use among German families probably dates back to medieval times when geographical locations often determined surnames.
Wolkersdorfer is not often used for personal names in modern Germany, although the family name may still appear in historic records from the 16th century. The last name is still popular in Eastern Europe and among German Americans, however, and it has also been adopted as a first name in some cases.
The name Wolkersdorfer is a modern tribute to an ancestral location or one’s family roots. Individuals with this last name carry with them a bit of history that speaks to their ancestral roots. This surname will likely continue to be passed down through generations as a link to the families’ hometown.
Order DNA origin analysisWolkersdorfer: Where does the name Wolkersdorfer come from?
The last name Wolkersdorfer is most commonly found today in Austria and Germany, as well as in some parts of Switzerland and other German-speaking countries.
In Austria, the name is most frequently found in the Tyrol region, where it is considered to be one of the most commonly encountered surnames. In some Tyrolean villages, Wolkersdorfer is the most popular surname. It is also found in the state of Styria, as well as in some other mountain regions in Austria.
In Germany, the name is most commonly found in the state of Bavaria, particularly in the southern regions of the state. It is also fairly common in some parts of the eastern states, such as Thuringia and Saxony.
In Switzerland, the name is mainly associated with the area of St. Gallen, which borders Austria and Germany. The name is also quite common in the cantons of Vaud and Valais as well.
Outside of German-speaking countries, the name can be found in the Netherlands, where it migrated in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many people from this area were known to have emigrated to the U.S. as well. Consequently, the surname Wolkersdorfer can now be encountered in many parts of North America today.
Variations of the surname Wolkersdorfer
The variant spellings and surnames of Wolkersdorfer are Wolksdorfer, Wolkersdorfer, Volkersdorfer, Wolckersdorfer, Wolkersdorf, and Waltkersdorfer.
The surname Wolkersdorfer originates from the Middle High German ‘wolf’ and ‘dorfer’ which means ‘village’. Therefore the name Wolkersdorfer means ‘from the village of wolves’.
The variant Wolksdorfer has an added ‘s’ from the Old High German. This variant can also be spelled as Wolcfdorfer when referring to Old High German.
The name Wolkersdorfer might come from, and be associated with, people from Weilerswist which is a village in the Rhein-Sieg district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The Wolckersdorfer variant is sometimes used to distinguish a location from a person form the village of wolves, for example when referring to Weilerswist.
The Volkersdorfer variant usually originates in Germany.
The surname Waltkersdorfer is thought to be a combination of Middle High German ‘wal’ which means ‘fields’, and ‘wolf’ and ‘dorfer’ which means ‘village’, to create the phrase ‘from the village of wolves and fields’.
The Wolkersdorf variant comes from the same origins, however it is the closest spelling of Wolkersdorfer and the one most commonly used. It is thought it originated from a merge between an ancestor that resided in the village near the wolves and the Low German, which a language related to modern Dutch.
The surname Wolkersdorfer is rooted in the Middle High German language and is thought to have originated in Weilerswist. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin all have a unique and interesting history, with varied origins and meanings.
Famous people with the name Wolkersdorfer
- Johnny Wolkersdorfer: Johnny Wolkersdorfer is a professional snowboarder and a two time world champion in freestyle snowboarding. He is known for his creative and daring snowboarding style.
- Theodore Wolkersdorfer: Theodore Wolkersdorfer was an Austrian painter and draughtsman. He worked in the late 19th century and specialised in genre painting and rural scenes. His works are held in several important public and private collections.
- Thomas Wolkersdorfer: Thomas Wolkersdorfer is a former Austrian Olympic ski jumper. He competed in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2003 and 2005, and at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
- Norman Wolkersdorfer: Norman Wolkersdorfer is an Austrian film producer and director. He has produced and directed numerous feature films and documentaries, including the controversial 2005 documentary, The Big Gamble.
- Abby Wolkersdorfer: Abby Wolkersdorfer is an American professional volleyball player. She has competed for the US national team in several international tournaments, including the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
- Stefan Wolkersdorfer: Stefan Wolkersdorfer is a German painter and sculptor. He is known for his colourful and abstract paintings and sculptures, which explore themes of identity and social comment.