Wittmann History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Etymology of Wittmann

What does the name Wittmann mean?

The name Wittmann comes from the Rhineland, an ancient region of Germany. In pre-medieval times, the Germans used only one name, but later they were forced by a growing population to adopt hereditary surnames, so as to remain distinct from others using the same personal (first) name. Local names derived from place names, were often chosen. They originally indicated land ownership, and frequently carried the prefix von, meaning "of" or "from", which is often taken as an indication of aristocratic lineage. Wittmann was a name for some one lived in the area that was referred to as widem which was originally derived from the German word denoting church property. Thus the estates or farms lived in by the original bearers of the surname were owned by the church. In early times the Church was the largest landowner in Europe. Many farmers and peasants alike lived on land that was considered church property.

Early Origins of the Wittmann family

The surname Wittmann was first found in the Palatinate in the Rhineland valley, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and many leaders sought their support in their search for power.

Early History of the Wittmann family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wittmann research. Another 316 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1638, 1639, 1642, 1646, 1667, 1675, 1687, 1712, 1719, 1724, 1730 and 1870 are included under the topic Early Wittmann History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittmann Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Wittmann include Widmann, Widman, Widemann, Wideman, Witmann, Witman, Wittmann, Wittman, Whitman and many more.

Early Notables of the Wittmann family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wittmann Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittmann Ranking

In France, the name Wittmann is the 6,665^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 1

Wittmann migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Wittmann were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Wittmann Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Martin Wittmann, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 2
Johan Georg Wittmann, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 2
Georg Adam Wittmann, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
Walter Wittmann, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Charles Henri Wittmann, who landed in America in 1777-1783 2

Wittmann Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ernst W Wittmann, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1832 2
Joh Franz Wittmann, who arrived in America in 1844 2
Anna Wittmann, who arrived in America in 1844-1845 2
Auguste Wittmann, who landed in Texas in 1846 2
Margaretha Wittmann, who landed in New York, NY in 1846 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wittmann migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wittmann Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Leonhard Wittmann, who landed in Quebec in 1852

Contemporary Notables of the name Wittmann (post 1700) +

Robert J. Wittmann, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Missouri 1st District, 1986
August Wittmann, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1924
Michael Wittmann (1914-1944), World War II German tank commander, recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Jürgen Wittmann (b. 1966), German football coach
Heinz Wittmann (b. 1943), German football player
Heinz-Günter Wittmann (1927-1990), German biochemist known for his research in ribosomes
Fritz Wittmann (b. 1933), German politician
Franz Wittmann Jr. (1983-1987), Austrian rally driver, co-winner of the 1987 Rally New Zealand
Franz Wittmann Sr. (1950-1987), Austrian rally driver, co-winner of the 1987 Rally New Zealand
Henri Wittmann (b. 1937), Canadian linguist from Quebec
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wittmann family +

Bismarck

Herbert Wittmann (1919-1941), German Signalobergefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3

Citations +

http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details