Surname Wittmier - Meaning and Origin
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Wittmier: What does the surname Wittmier mean?
The last name WITTMIER is an occupational surname, derived from an Old High German language word, 'witmeer', which translates to 'miller or grinder of grain'. This was a common job throughout Germany during the medieval period, servicing the many feudal lordships. Often a miller was responsible for grinding the grain of the feudal landowner on commission, which made him an important figure in the local economy. Many of these millers had their own shop and seemed to become well known in the village they were based in.
Today, people with the last name WITTMIER may live in any country around the world where the German language has been used. It is possible they are members of large families, most of who can trace their roots back to places like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Eastern Europe.
The coat of arms associated with the WITTMIER family is a shield divided into three parts. The bottom left and right having a chevron, the top being a buck's head cabossed. On top of the shield is a man wearing a cloak surrounded by three ermine tails.
Because millers were so important to the medieval economy, there's a good chance that the WITTMIER family rose to a higher standing within society and their coat of arms serves as recognition to that. In today's culture it is a reminder of those early roots and a way to carry on the family going forward.
Order DNA origin analysisWittmier: Where does the name Wittmier come from?
The surname Wittmier is most common throughout North America, especially in the United States. Working backwards from the US Census records of 2000, the Wittmier name is among the most prominent in the states of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas. Immigrants from Germany (most likely Low-Saxon Germans) brought the name to the United States and Canada in the 19th century. From there it spread to the states mentioned above, and is still prominent today. It is also found in many other countries such as Canada, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Italy and Norway.
In the 2000 US Census, the Wittmier surname was recorded in the top 1,000 surnames, with 527 total people sharing the name. Illinois had the highest recorded population of 76 individuals. According to Ancestry.com, Wittmier is an occupational surname meaning “counsellor” and is of German origin. Nowadays, the surname is still fairly common in mostly US states, but is less common in other countries.
Variations of the surname Wittmier
The surname WITTMIER can be found in several spellings as well as variants across Europe. These spellings include Wittmair, Wittmayer, Wittmeier, Whitmair, and Wittmair.
The surname WITTMIER originates from a habitational name derived from any of several places in Germany and Bavaria called WITTMANN and WITTMANN, respectively. The surnames Wittmier,Wittmair,Wittmayer, Whitmair, and Wittmair deriving from these places all originated around the same time and approximately the same area.
The name WITTMIER is derived from the Germanic personal name Wicbert, which came from the element "wic” which meant “war” or “combat” and it was also associated with “berht”, meaning “bright” and “famous”. Therefore the name Wicbert became synonymous with “the famous war-like one”.
WITTMIER is also a surname found in Austria, Poland, Russia and Czechoslovakia. In Austria, spelling variations include Wittmayr, Wittmyer, Wuttmyer and Whitmeir. In Poland, variations are Wictmier, Vicktmier, Wittmer, Wittmey, Wittmeyr, Wittmeyer, Witmeir, Wutmiar, Wutmyar and Vetmeir. In Russia, variants are Wuttmyer and Wittmier. In Czechoslovakia, spellings are Wuttmayer and Wyttmayer.
In conclusion, the surname Wittmier is found in several spellings and variants across Europe, including Wittmair, Wittmayer, Wittmeier, Whitmair, Wittmayr, Wuttmyer, and Wittmier in Austria, Poland, Russia and Czechoslovakia. The name is derived from the Germanic personal name Wicbert, which means “the famous war-like one”.
Famous people with the name Wittmier
- Otto Wittmier: a lawyer best known for representing defendants in the Nuremberg trials after World War II.
- George Wittmier: a former Arizona Supreme Court justice.
- Jimmy Wittmier: an American basketball player who played for the Milwaukee Bucks.
- Ella Mae Wittmier: an American actress of the silent film era.
- Lou Wittmier: an American cartoonist and illustrator whose comics and illustrations appeared in prestigious magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post and Weekly Reader Children’s Magazine.
- Gary Wittmier: an American radio announcer and voice-over artist who has had a long and varied career in radio, commercials, film, and television, with credits on shows such as Roseanne and The Simpsons.
- Daniel Wittmier: a bluegrass musician, recording artist, and songwriter from California.
- Joanna Wittmier: an American entrepreneur, author, and former model who is the CEO and co-founder of the popular dating app ‘Dating DNA’.
- Carl Wittmier: a professional golfer who won the 1961 PGA Junior Championship.
- William Wittmier: a civil war veteran considered one of the founders of the Grand Army of the Republic.