Surname Wendeler - Meaning and Origin
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Wendeler: What does the surname Wendeler mean?
The last name Wendeler is a German surname derived from a place name meaning “homestead on the meadow”. It is an occupational surname, meant to denote someone who lived or worked near a meadow, which was probably the important part of their livelihood.
Wendeler is first found in the north of Germany, particularly near the city of Berlin in the Brandenburg region. It is believed that this surname originated during the Middle Ages in this area and spread then throughout the regions of Germany.
The ancestral seat of the Wendeler family was a village in Brandenburg, called Wendeler. This village was likely named for the meadow it was on or near. It is mentioned in documents from the 14th century. But, by 1400 the Wendeler family had already started to use the medieval house sign as a hereditary surname.
The Wendeler family contributed to the growth of the town of Wendeler providing employment for many citizens. They are known to have operated a grain mill, a smithy, a brewery and served as local magistrates and teachers.
The Wendeler family also had the honor to serve the courts of the nearby King Frederick William I of Prussia, and numerous members of that family served in the Berlin garrison. Some of the Wendeler family members even took part in the Baltic wars of the 1700s.
Today, the Wendeler family is spread around the globe but wherever you may find a Wendeler, you will find a strong sense of community and family values, which have been important over many generations.
Order DNA origin analysisWendeler: Where does the name Wendeler come from?
The last name Wendeler is primarily known in the German-speaking region, namely Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Immigrants over time have spread the name to North and South America, New Zealand, and Australia.
Wendeler is a variant of Windeller, which is an occupational name deriving from the medieval German word "windeln," meaning "to wrap." The Wendeler name may have initially been used to describe a manufacturer or seller of bandages. However, due to the fact that the region of Germany speaking a Germanic dialect of High German was sparsely populated during the Middle Ages, it is likely that Wendeler has more than one root.
The Wendeler name is particularly common in Germany, especially in the states of Bavaria, Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the 137th most common last name in Germany, with over 48,000 people carrying the surname. In Switzerland, Windeller is the 495th most popular name, with about 1,770 people having adopted the surname.
In the United States, the Wendeler name is not as common. It is the 15,874th most popular name in the country, with only 157 people bearing the last name in the US according to 2019 US Census records. It is also relatively uncommon in South America, Australia, and New Zealand, with most reported Wendelers living in Germany or its neighboring countries.
Variations of the surname Wendeler
Variations of the surname Wendeler include Wendel, Wendelin, Wendelini, Wendeline, Ventline, Wentline, Windeline, Vendeler, Wendely, Wendell and Wendler.
The Wendeler surname originated in the east of Germany before spreading across Europe and America. It is possibly derived from the Middle High German "wandln" meaning ‘to wander’, and thus taken to mean ‘wanderer’.
In German records, the name evolved from Wendelin. In war-torn Europe, the spelling was sometimes changed to Ventoline, Wentline and Windeline - as it required fewer letters in the alphabet to write the word.
The Wendeler name can also be found in Switzerland (in its German form) and in France, most commonly as Wendliner. In the United States, the spelling tends to be Wendel or Wendell.
The spelling Wendler is found in several German speaking countries, but it is also found amongst English-speaking nations. In the UK, the spelling is usually Wendeler, reflecting the original German spelling.
The spelling Ventline is uncommon, but spelling variants such as Windeline, Vendeler and Wendely are also found.
Regardless of how the spelling has changed, the Wendeler surname is still most commonly associated with German ancestry.
Famous people with the name Wendeler
- Elisabeth Wendeler, German writer and journalist
- Christof Wendeler, German principal cellist
- Princess Catherine Oxenberg nee Elisabeth Judson Wendeler, American actress
- Robert A. Wendeler, American politician
- Don Wendeler, American football player
- Richard Wendeler, American offensive assistant coach
- Ron Wendeler, American television producer
- Werner Wendeler, German historian and librarian
- Franz Wendeler, German-born American publisher
- Richard Wendeler, American rock band manager
- Thomas Wendeler, German industrialist
- John Wendeler, American co-founder of a securities transactions system
- Henry Wendeler, German businessman and private banker
- Juergen Wendeler, German physicist
- Joshua Wendeler, German classical composer
- Helmut Wendeler, German basketball player