Surname Wyman - Meaning and Origin

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V. Wyman

Wyman: What does the surname Wyman mean?

The surname Wyman is of English origin, and is derived from the Old English term "wigmand". A wigmand was an official who collected taxes and tolls on behalf of the crown in medieval England. The surname itself is thought to have arisen in the south-western counties of England, most likely Somerset, although variants of the name may also be found in other areas of the country.

Wyman was often spelled differently depending on the era and the region, with variations including Wyman, Wymann, Weyman, Weymans, and Wiman. It is thought that the variants are an indication that various members of the same family may have adopted different spellings during the Middle Ages, likely due to poor literacy and regional dialects.

The surname can also be found in other countries across the world, such as the United States, where it arrived with early settlers.

Today, the surname Wyman is primarily associated with English-speaking countries, and is still quite common in certain regions. Despite its origins in medieval England, the name is still seen, and its meaning today is largely associated with an old English profession.

Wyman: Where does the name Wyman come from?

The last name Wyman is most commonly found in the United States today. Although the name is not particularly common, some states that have a higher percentage of people with the last name include Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. The name is also found in other countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

It is believed that the last name came to the United States from England during the colonial period. The original spelling of the name was Wymond, but it was frequently changed to Wyman over time. It is likely that early immigrants to the New World modified their own last names in an effort to better assimilate into their new home.

The last name Wyman is not particularly common today, with the Social Security Administration estimating that there are only about 3,500 people in the United States with this last name. That said, it still remains a reasonably popular surname, especially in the western United States.

Variations of the surname Wyman

The surname Wyman is a variant of one of many Anglo-Saxon surnames with multiple spellings and surnames of the same origin. The names Wyman, Weyman, Weeman, and Weymann share the same root form of the Old English “wǣge” meaning “servant”. This etymological root gave the name Wyman plenty of variation and regional pronunciation preferences. As a result, the name Wyman has common spellings such as Weman, Weymann, Weyman, and Wiman as well as the surnames Weyhe, Weiermann, Weyhan, and Weyhem.

The most common spelling of Wyman is Weyman and when it is abbreviated it is often spelled Weman. This has caused confusion among history and ancestry records, especially when compiling data from various regions in which the spelling of the name varied greatly. Solutions such as checking each spelling variant has often been suggested to be able to accurately trace a surname’s origin.

Due to the multiple spellings of the Wyman surname, researchers and genealogists who are tracing its origin would find it beneficial to look up all associated spellings as well as closely related surnames in order to accurately trace the family tree and determine the original form of the name.

In addition, because the Wyman surname is derived from Old English, seeking out variant forms among other languages related to Old English, such as Scandinavian languages, could potentially lead to a clearer picture of the origin of the surname.

Famous people with the name Wyman

• Bill Wyman: an English musician who is best known as the bassist for the British rock and roll group, The Rolling Stones, from 1962 to 1993.
• Steve Wyman: an American actor, director, and screenwriter who has multiple film credits to his name including acting in the film We Were Soldiers and directing the movie Miracle in the Woods.
• Ken Wyman: a Canadian actor who appeared in films such as Eight days a Week and An Officer and a Gentleman.
• Rachel Wyman: an American actress and costume designer who won an Emmy Award for her wardrobe designs on the HBO miniseries Tales of the City.
• Stan Wyman: an American actor best known for his role as Dr. Edgar Jessup in the 1988 horror film Pumpkinhead.
• William Wyman: an American journalist and editor who won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 1990.
• Richard Wyman: an American actor who made appearances in films such as Blade (1998) and Suicide Kings (1997).
• Paul Wyman: an American novelist and playwright known for his novels The First and Dogs of War.
• Brad Wyman: a producer of over 25 films including Monster and Crazy Love, for which he won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival in 2007.
• Lee Wyman: an American comic book artist best known for his work on titles such as 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, Chynna Clugston's Blue Monday and Madman Explosion.

Other surnames

WymannWymar