Surname Wickermann - Meaning and Origin
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Wickermann: What does the surname Wickermann mean?
The last name Wickermann is of German origin and is derived from the Middle High German word "wickeremann", which was a man who held a job related to sheep husbandry. This could refer to a shepherding profession, a wool-carder, or even a sheep trader or merchant.
The English surname "Wickerman" also has the same root. The prefix "wick" usually refers to staffs, sticks, or rods. This makes sense when one looks at the literal meaning of wickeremann which is "man with a stick." This could refer to someone who guides a flock of sheep with a stick, such as a shepherd. The suffix "ermann", meanwhile, means man or gentleman.
The Wickermann name is believed to have spread to the United States during the period of German immigration in the 19th century. During this time, many Germans, including many Wickermanns, left Germany and came to the United States. Today, the Wickermann surname is most commonly found in Wisconsin and North Dakota.
Overall, the Wickermann surname is a unique German name which literally translates to "man with a stick". It likely originated in Germany but can now be found scattered across the United States. Its use could be due to its German roots, or, perhaps more likely, it could have been a custom of certain families to add the suffix -man to an ancestor's given name as a form of inheritance.
Order DNA origin analysisWickermann: Where does the name Wickermann come from?
The surname Wickermann is potentially of German origin. It is most commonly found in modern Germany, as evidenced by the German telephone directory provider Dasoertliche.de recording 45 individuals in November 2020. Wickermann is also recorded in modest numbers in other German-speaking regions such as Austria and Switzerland.
Wickermann is also listed in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. In the US, the name is recorded in eleven states. There is also a small presence of Wickermanns in other parts of the English-speaking world such as New Zealand and Australia.
Despite not being a common surname today, Wickermann is an ancient one. Records show that the name dates back to at least the 1400s in Germany, when a man named Johannes Wyckerman was recorded in Plauen, Saxony-Anhalt in 1455. The modern contribution to the name’s history broke out in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as German emigrants settled in other area of the world.
It is likely, then, that Wickermann is of German origin, and that there is a sizable population of the surname in modern-day Germany. However, it is also found in modest numbers in other countries around the world, where it is likely the result of German ancestor settling in those regions in the mid-1800s and before.
Variations of the surname Wickermann
The surname Wickermann has several variants in terms of spelling and other surnames of the same origin. These relate both to German and English sources.
In Germany, the surname is typically spelled as "Wickermann" and is sometimes seen as "Wickerman". "Wickerman" is also a rare English variant of the name. In Scotland, the spelling variants tend to be different with the surname often seen as "Wykeham".
In the Middle Ages, the surname was also spelled as "Wigkomanne" or "Wikkermanne", indicating an origin from the Old German words "wic", meaning "to bend", and "man", meaning "man". This implies that the name originally referred to an individual who either bent wood or to a woodcutter.
The surname can also occasionally appear as "Wyckermann" or "Wykerman". This spelling may have arisen in 19th century England as a result of the more common spelling of "Wykeham".
In terms of other surnames of the same origin, there are variations such as "Wickert" or "Wickertmann", which is found from a slightly different root, the Middle Low German word "wicken", meaning "to encircle". These are mainly concentrated in Northern Germany, The Netherlands, and Denmark.
"Wickes" or "Wykes" is another related family name, found mainly in Scotland, although this is less likely to be related given its broad use in England and Scotland.
Overall, the spelling and other surnames of the same origin for Wickermann are quite varied across different areas and time periods; however, the main roots of the name are typically attributed to woodworking or woodcutting.
Famous people with the name Wickermann
- Robert Wickman: Professional Baseball Player
- Richard Wickman: Actor
- Ernest Wickman: Scientist
- Peter Wickman: Memory researcher
- Mary Wickman: Artist
- Stephen A. Wickman: Lawyer
- Josephine Wickman: Author
- Joyce Wickman: Poet
- Alexander Wickman: Author
- Dean Wickman: Chef
- John Wickman: Politician
- Paula Wickman: Singer
- Sarah Wickman: Nurse
- Jane Wickman: Interior Designer
- Beth Wickman: Landscaper
- Howard Wickman: Naval Officer
- Lawrence Wickman: Computer Programmer
- Michael Bray Wickman: Musician
- Gene Wickman: Entrepreneur
- Rebecca Wickman: Psychologist