Surname von Willich - Meaning and Origin
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von Willich: What does the surname von Willich mean?
The surname von Willich is of German origin, and it means 'from Willich'. The name is a topographical surname, which means that it was originally used to designate someone who was either from the town of Willich or from the surrounding area. This town is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and in the Middle Ages, it was part of a larger area with a few surrounding towns and villages. As its boundaries shifted over time, the name Willich began to be used to refer to all of these lands.
Due to its frequent military connections, many families adopted the title ‘von’ in their surnames. This was a status symbol that showed a connection to higher societal ranks. Thus, a person with the surname von Willich was indicating that they were somehow related to the Willich area. This could mean they were from an aristocratic family, a military unit or a noble house.
This particular surname is not particularly common, but it can still be found in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland. People with the surname von Willich can trace their roots to the area near Willich, so they still have a strong connection to their ancestral homeland.
Order DNA origin analysisvon Willich: Where does the name von Willich come from?
The last name von Willich is a noble German surname. It is especially common in the small towns in Eastern Germany where the Willich family originated in the 1500s. The name is still very common in the German speaking world, particularly in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland where it is an especially popular surname. It is also very common in large German cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, and Hamburg. Additionally, it can be found in some other parts of Central and Eastern Europe, such as Poland and Slovenia.
Outside of Europe, the name von Willich can be found in countries that were once part of the German diaspora, such as the United States, Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa. Within the United States, the name is especially common in areas with large German populations such as Louisiana and Wisconsin. Additionally, the name exists in areas with large populations of immigrants from Germany and German-speaking countries, such as some parts of Canada.
The name von Willich is a very old and deeply rooted name; it has been passed down through the centuries from generation to generation, and is still found today in many countries and regions around the world.
Variations of the surname von Willich
The surname von Willich is a German-origin surname derived from the Middle High German personal name "Wilih", which is composed of the elements "wil" meaning "will, desire" and "hih" meaning "warrior, combat". It is usually found with the von prefix, which means "of" or "from", and is usually an indicator of noble ancestry.
Variants of the surname von Willich include the German spelling de Willich (with the de prefix, which also means "of" or "from"), as well as the Dutch spelling van Willich (with the van prefix, which also means "of" or "from"), and all of these surnames are considered cognates of von Willich. Variants of the surname von Willich are also found in other languages, such as the Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian surnames von Wille, Viljes and Vilje, respectively.
Other spellings of willich include Wilich, Willi, and Wilih.
Common surnames derived from the surname von Willich include Will and Willing.
Famous people with the name von Willich
- Karl August von Willich: Prussian General and a leader in the 1830 German Revolution.
- Otto von Willich: Prussian statesman and deputy to the German federal parliament in Frankfurt.
- Carl von Willich: Bavarian general.
- Naville von Willich: Prussian general and the commander-in-chief of the Prussian garrison in Berlin in 1848.
- Otto Ritter von Willich: Prussian general of cavalry.
- Adolf von Willich: German general of infantry in WWI.
- August von Willich: German general of the western front in WWI.
- Alexander von Willich– German General of the Reserve Cavalry in WWI.
- Maximilian von Willich: German General of the Corps during WWI.
- Edouard von Willich: German Chancellor and Minister-President of Prussia.
- Peter von Willich: Prussian General and chief of the staff of the 3rd Army Corps.
- Rudolf von Willich: German general of the artillery.
- John von Willich: German-American army officer and pioneer land developer in the United States.
- Alois von Willich: Composer and music teacher.
- Hans von Willich: German lawyer, publicist and political activist.
- Emma von Willich: German operetta performer.
- Philipp von Willich: financier and industrialist.