Weiser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Weiser

What does the name Weiser mean?

The surname Weiser is a Bavarian nickname surname. German nicknames came from eke-names, or added names, and tended to describe a physical characteristic or other attribute of their initial bearer. Weiser is a name for a person who had a pale complexion or fair colored hair. The surname Weiser was derived from the German word weises, which meant white.

Early Origins of the Weiser family

The surname Weiser was first found in Bavaria, where the name gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society. Chronicles first mention Nicolaus Weiser of Iglau in Bohemia in 1378.

Early History of the Weiser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weiser research. Another 180 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1662, 1696, 1708, 1709, 1746, 1760, 1798, 1810, 1830, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1844, 1852 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Weiser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weiser Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Weiser include Weise, Weis, Weiser, Wise and others.

Early Notables of the Weiser family

Prominent among members of the name Weiser in this period include

Christian Weise (1642-1708), who was a renowned German author of moral tragedies, poetry, and comedies. Johann Conrad Weiser Sr. (1662-1746) was a German soldier, baker, and farmer who fled his homela...

Weiser Ranking

In the United States, the name Weiser is the 7,296^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Weiser migration to the United States +

Between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries, German settlers arrived in North America by the thousands. Persecution based on religion and poverty were great motivators in this large-scale migration. So too was the opportunity for tenant farmers to own their own land. Ample land and opportunity awaited the settlers who went to such states as Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, as well as Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Weiser or a variant listed above:

Weiser Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Koenraet Weiser, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Daniel Artopee Weiser, who arrived in New York State in 1710-11
George Ffrederick Weiser, aged 13, who arrived in New York in 1710 2
Christian Weiser, who settled in Philadelphia in 1731
Conrad Weiser, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1744 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Weiser Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J L Weiser, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1855 2
Andrew Weiser, who was naturalized in Kansas in 1880

Contemporary Notables of the name Weiser (post 1700) +

Kent L. Weiser (b. 1959), American university sports administrator and former college golf coach
Garth Weiser (b. 1979), American artist based in New York City
Kurt Weiser (b. 1950), American ceramicist and Regents Professor at Arizona State University's School of Art
Alex Weiser, American composer of contemporary classical music
Stanley Weiser, American screenwriter, born in New York City, known for Wall Street and W
Philip Jacob Weiser (b. 1968), American lawyer and politician, 39th Attorney General of Colorado since 2019
Marty Weiser (1912-1988), American film publicist, best known for his 50-year tenure at Warner Bros.
Harry Budson "Bud" Weiser (1891-1961), American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies (1915-1916)
Ronny Weiser (b. 1946), also known as Rockin' Ronny Weiser, an American record producer and founder of rockabilly record label Rollin' Rock
Samuel Weiser, American founder of Weiser Antiquarian Books in 1926, now the oldest occult bookstore in the United States
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)