Surname Welther - Meaning and Origin

Welther: What does the surname Welther mean?

The last name Welther is of German origin and is derived from a habitational name from any of the numerous places named Walther in southern, central, and northeastern Germany. These toponyms are likely derived from the Old German personal name Walther, which is composed of the elements walh meaning "foreigner, stranger, Roman" and hari meaning "army". The name was borne by a medieval German minstrel named Walther von der Vogelweide, who was renowned as a lyric poet and scholar.

The first recorded spelling of the surname was in 1240, when Ulricus Waltherus was recorded in the charters of the City of Padua, Germany. Variations of this surname include Walther, Welther, Wolta, Walta, and Waltraut. People with the surname Welther are thought to be concentrated in Bavaria, Saxony, Baden-Wurttemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse, Germany, and Viennese Austria.

In modern times, Welthers are usually associated with industrious and creative professions, often associated with the arts, including music, theatre and painting. Additionally, some members of the Welther family have experienced emigration, with families arriving in Australia, England, the United States, and Canada in the mid–to–late nineteenth century.

Today, the Welther surname is still in use, with many families in Germany and its descendants countries around the world still proudly clinging to this family name.

Welther: Where does the name Welther come from?

The surname Welther is most commonly found in Germany, particularly in the north of the country and around Berlin. It is also present in Austria, with its highest concentrations in the country's capital of Vienna. In the United States, Welther is prominent in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. This American Welther population is made up mostly of descendants of German and Austrian immigrants.

The Welther surname root can be traced back to the Middle High German name Welther, which was also a variation of Walther or Walter. It was a given name likely used as an occupational name for a hunter, as it derived from the term “wala” meaning “forest” or “wild” and “Hari” meaning “army”. The surname transformation likely began to appear after the 1200s and became more common after the 1600s when the Thirty Years’ War brought consistent migration of people throughout Europe.

The Welther surname has become highly dispersed throughout the world throughout the centuries of branch migration. It is most common in the countries with which it originated and those of German immigration. It is speculated that today, there are roughly 5,000 people with the Welther surname across the globe.

Variations of the surname Welther

The surname Welther has many variants, including Weller, Because of the various ways in which individual names have evolved, there are several variations and spellings of this name.

Variations in spelling of the name Welther include Welter, Weltner, Waltner, Wallner, Walner, Walther, Valthner and Velter. The common variants of Welther are Welter, Weltner, Waltner and Wallner.

There are also some surnames derived from smaller regional variations of Welther, such as Welthausen, Weltherz, and Weltherbohr.

Variants of the name Welther are also found in other countries such as Scotland, where forms like Wolther and Welther were used in medieval times.

Additionally, the name Welther is found in several Jewish sources. The Judaic variation of Welther is Velter, a Western Yiddish Last Name.

Alternative spellings of Welther may also include Welterer, Welterea, Welterean, Welthera, Weltheran, Weltheren, Welteren, Weltheron, Welteren, and Welteren.

The various spellings and surnames of the same name, Welther, demonstrate how this surname has evolved over time and adapted to different language and cultures. It is likely that the multitude of spellings and surnames that evolved from Welther will continue to increase with time.

Famous people with the name Welther

• Seth Weltzer: American songwriter/producer
• Christina Weltz: American actress
• George Weltz: German-American actor
• Lydia Weltz: German historian and writer
• Brian Weltzer: American screenwriter
• Jan Weltzer: German photographer
• Debbie Weltz: American trio vocal group singer
• Peter Weltzer: American orchestra conductor
• Mark Weltzer: American actor
• Sarah Weltzer: American flautist and costume designer

Other surnames

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