Surname Wiedmer - Meaning and Origin
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Tracing the Wiedmer Lineage: An iGENEA DNA Test Unveiling my Swiss-German Heritage
The iGENEA DNA test has given me an enlightening journey into my lineage, shedding light on the historical and cultural roots of my Wiedmer ancestors. The test unearthed a rich heritage interconnected with the socio-cultural fabric of Switzerland and etched on the contours of history. The story of the Wiedmer lineage is a testament to resilience, community spirit, and a deeply ingrained bond with nature.
D. Wiedmer
read moreWiedmer: What does the surname Wiedmer mean?
The German surname Wiedmer is derived from 'Wiedmer', which is a dialect form of the word 'weidmann'. Literally translated, weidmann means 'woodsman', and thus Wiedmer is the corresponding surname. Weidmann is a compound word made up of two Old High German words - 'weid' which means 'forest' or 'woodland', and 'mann' which means 'man'.
Thus, as a German surname, Wiedmer can be interpreted to mean 'one who works or dwells in the woods'. This could refer to a hunter, forester, lumberjack, charcoal burner, or any of several different types of people whose livelihood involved the use of woodlands or their associated products (including wild game, nuts & berries and timber). In the distant past, the name may also have been given to forest dwellers, such as charcoal burners or people living in small, isolated communities deep in the woods.
The names Wiedmer and Weidemann have been used as surnames since at least the 13th century, when hereditary surnames first began to take shape in the Germanic region. The spelling of the name has since changed over time due to phonetic and orthographic shifts. Variations of the name Wiedmer include Wiedemer, Widmer, Widemann, Wiedemann and Weideman.
Order DNA origin analysisWiedmer: Where does the name Wiedmer come from?
The last name Wiedmer is common mainly in Central and Eastern Europe today. It is most frequent in Switzerland, where it is the 80th most common surname. It is also common in Liechtenstein, Bavaria, and in other parts of Germany, where it can be found in the regional surnames index.
The New York City metropolitan region also has a significant population of Wiedmers. The surname is also found in France, Austria, the Netherlands, as well as scattered throughout the United States.
Researchers indicate that the Wiedmer surname has its origins in the northern Alps. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Wied, which in old German means "the woodsman".
The name seems to have originally been an occupational name referring to someone engaged in the lumber business. This is corroborated by the prominence of the Wiedmer lumber trade which developed in the canton of Uri, Switzerland, during the Middle Ages.
The Wiedmers are today one of the few families who still practice the traditional Swiss-German etiquette of using the wife's maiden name and the husband's last name together, creating a double-barrel surname.
The Wiedmer surname is still very much alive today and continues to be passed on from generation to generation.
Variations of the surname Wiedmer
The surname Wiedmer is a Germanized version of the Old Swiss German names Widmer and Widemar, which means “wide sea”. The name can also be spellings including Viedmer, Widmar, Widmer, Wiedmar, and Weidmer. Variants of the Wiedmer surname include Weidemar, Weideman, Weidemann, Weidmer, Viede, Viedemann, Viedemer, Viedermann, Wiede, Wiedeman, Wiedemann, Wieder, and Wiedermann.
Wiedmer is found mainly in Switzerland and Germany. In Switzerland, the spelling Widmer is common, whereas in Germany, the spelling Wiedmer is more frequent. It started as a toponymic surname, meaning a person originating from a particular place. In modern times, the Widmer spelling is also found in North America.
The Widmer spelling of the surname can be found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The Widemer spelling is used occasionally in the U.S. and less trending in other countries. The Wiedmer spelling of the surname is very rare outside of Germany and Switzerland.
Surnames related to Wiedmer are Widmayer, Widmering, Widmann, Widemann, and Wiemer. These are variations of the spelling Widmer.
The surnames Widmar and Widmer have variants as Bomber and Boemer in the Netherlands. In Belgium and the Netherlands, the surname Weidemaar is phonetic and combined with other names. It is not a true variant of Wiedmer.
The Wiedmer name was first found in Switzerland, where it is an occupational name for a maker of wicker baskets or a person who managed a fishing business.
Famous people with the name Wiedmer
- Leslie Wiedmer: American figure skater who competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics.
- Lars Wiedmer: Swiss actor and director who has been active since 1996.
- John Wiedmer: American basketball player who was part of the gold-medal-winning team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
- Maria Wiedmer: German composer, pianist, and singer who was active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Daniel Wiedmer: Swiss journalist, author, and editor-in-chief of the Jura-Bündner Tagblatt newspaper.
- Eddie Wiedmer: Swiss singer and guitarist known for his work with Züri West, a Swiss rock group.
- Valeri Wiedmer: Russian actor who is compared to famous Soviet-based actors such as Vasily Livanov and Sergey Yursky.
- Bruce Wiedmer: American footballer who was part of the 1960 Atlanta Falcons.
- Jake Wiedmer: American former National Football League wide receiver.
- Philipp Wiedmer: Swiss multi-instrumentalist and composer who was a member of various groups such as Stone Soup, Estay, and the gypsy-jazz band Caruvelli.