| ![Show Contents]() Wentzel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of WentzelWhat does the name Wentzel mean? The German surname Wentzel comes from the male given name Wenzeslaus which was derived from the Czech given name Václav or Venceslav, meaning "praised with glory". Some etymologists believe the name ultimately derives from the Slavic given name Wenze to which the Germanic diminutive suffix "el" was added. Wenceslaus I (c. 907-935), also known as Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the Duke of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel. He was posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of the Czech state. Early Origins of the Wentzel familyThe surname Wentzel was first found in Germany, where the name Wentzel came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as numerous branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some of which were located in other countries. Through the acquisition of these estates as well as their important contributions to society, the family successfully elevated their social status. Early History of the Wentzel familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wentzel research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1507, 1561, 1578, 1585, 1696, 1711, 1718, 1742, 1763, 1769, 1772, 1773, 1794, 1825, 1830 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Wentzel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wentzel Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Wentzel, Wentzl, Wentzzel, Wentzell, Wenttzel, Wentzels, Wentzls, Wentzlls, Wentzells, Wenttzels, Wentzele, Wensel, Wentsel and many more. Early Notables of the Wentzel familyNotables of the time with the name Wentzel included Wenzel Thomas Matiegka (1773-1830), Bohemian composer; Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich (1773-1859), German-Austrian politician and statesman; Josef Wenzel, Prince of Liechtenstein (1696-1772), Prince of Liechtenstein; and Franz Wenzel, Graf von Kaunitz-Rietberg, (1742-1825), Austrian general, son of Wenzel...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wentzel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wentzel RankingIn the United States, the name Wentzel is the 9,757th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in South Africa, the name Wentzel is ranked the 871st most popular surname with an estimated 8,027 people with that name. 2
| Wentzel migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Wentzel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Johan Wilhelm Wentzel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 3
- Lorentz Wentzel, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748
- Catherine Wentzel, who settled in New York in 1749
- Catherine Wentzel, who arrived in New York, NY in 1749 3
- Philip Wentzel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Wentzel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Anthony Wentzel, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1834 3
- Karl Wentzel, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 3
- Heinrich Wentzel, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
- Bruno Wentzel, who landed in Mississippi in 1859 3
- John Wentzel, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1867 3
| Wentzel migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Wentzel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century- Conrad Wentzel, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1757
- Jacob Wentzel, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
- Lorentz Wentzel, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
- Maria Wentzel, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
- Wilhelm Wentzel, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
| Contemporary Notables of the name Wentzel (post 1700) | + |
- Volkmar Wentzel (1915-2006), German-born American photographer and cinematographer who worked for nearly 50 years for the National Geographic Society
- Stan Wentzel (1917-1991), American Major League Baseball player who played for the Boston Braves in 1945
- Frank J. Wentzel, American politician, Burgess of Ashland, Pennsylvania, 1933-37 4
- Dan Wentzel, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 8th District, 2000, 2002 4
- Gregor Wentzel (1898-1978), German physicist known for development of quantum mechanics, co-developer of the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation in 1926
- Emil August Edward Wentzel (1817-1892), German immigrant from Bremen, Germany to the colony of South Australia in 1847 where he became a timber merchant and politician, MHA for Encounter Bay (1870-1871)
- Sune Wentzel (b. 1971), Norwegian frisbeer who holds six world titles and two world indoor distance records
- Jacob Johannes Greyling Wentzel, South African farmer and politician
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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