Old Germanic Origin Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the origin is Old Germanic.
usage
origin
West English, German
Denoted a person who lived to the west of something, or who came from the west.
Westbrook English
From the name of places in England, derived from Old English west "west" and broc "brook, stream".
Westcott English
From any of the several English towns by this name, derived from Old English meaning "west cottage".
Westenberg Dutch
Means "west of the mountain", originally referring to a person who lived there.
Westerberg Swedish
Derived from Swedish *väster (Old Norse vestr) meaning "west" and berg meaning "mountain".
Westley English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English west "west" and leah "woodland, clearing".
Weston English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English west "west" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".
Wheatley English
From any of the various places in England with this name, meaning "wheat clearing" in Old English.
Whitaker English
From a place name composed of Old English hwit "white" and æcer "field".
White English
Originally a nickname for a person who had white hair or a pale complexion, from Old English hwit "white".
Whitehead English
Nickname for someone with white or light-coloured hair, from Old English hwit "white" and heafod "head".
Whitney English
Originally from the name of an English town, meaning "white island" in Old English.
Whittemore English
From various English place names derived from Old English hwit "white" and mor "moor, heath, bog".
Whittle English
From various English place names derived from Old English hwit "white" and hyll "hill".
Wickham English
From any of various towns by this name in England, notably in Hampshire. They are derived from Old English wic "village, town" (of Latin origin) and ham "home, settlement".
Wiegand German
From the given name Wiegand.
Wilcox English
From a diminutive of the given name William.
Wild English, German
Means "wild, untamed, uncontrolled", derived from Old English wilde. This was either a nickname for a person who behaved in a wild manner or a topographic name for someone who lived on overgrown land.
Wiley English
From any of the various English towns named Willey or from the River Wylye.
Wilkerson English
Means "son of Wilkin".
Wilkie English
Double diminutive of the given name William.
Wilkins English
Means "son of Wilkin".
Wilkinson English
Means "son of Wilkin".
Willard English
From the given name Wilheard or Willihard.
Willems Dutch
Derived from the given name Willem.
Willemse Dutch
Derived from the given name Willem.
Willemsen Dutch
Means "son of Willem".
Willey English
Variant of Wiley.
William English
Derived from the given name William.
Williams English
Means "son of William".
Williamson English
Means "son of William".
Willis English
Derived from the given name William. A famous bearer of this surname is actor Bruce Willis (1955-).
Willoughby English
From the name of various English towns, derived from Old English welig "willow" and Old Norse býr "farm, settlement".
Wilmer German, English
Derived from the given name Willimar or Wilmǣr.
Wilms Dutch
Derived from the given name Willem.
Wilson English
Means "son of Will". A famous bearer was the American president Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924).
Wilton English
From any of the English towns named Wilton.
Winfield English
From various English place names, derived from Old English winn "meadow, pasture" and feld "field".
Winograd Jewish
Jewish form of Vinogradov.
Winogrodzka f Polish
Feminine form of Winogrodzki.
Winogrodzki m Polish
Polish cognate of Vinogradov.
Winslow English
Derived from an Old English place name meaning "hill belonging to Wine".
Winston English
Derived from the given name Wynnstan.
Winter English, German, Swedish
From Old English winter or Old High German wintar meaning "winter". This was a nickname for a person with a cold personality.
Winterbottom English
From Old English winter meaning "winter" and botm meaning "ground, soil, bottom". This name probably referred to a winter pasture at the bottom of a lowland valley.
Winther Danish, Swedish
Danish and Swedish variant of Winter.
Winthrop English
Habitational name from the place names Winthrope 1 or Winthrope 2.
Winton English
Derived from the name of several English villages. Their names derive from Old English meaning "enclosure belonging to Wine".
Wirner German
From the given name Werner.
Wirnhier German
From the given name Werner.
Wirt German
Variant of Wirth.
Wirth German, Jewish
Occupational name for an innkeeper, derived from German wirt meaning "host".
Wolf German, English
From Middle High German or Middle English wolf meaning "wolf", or else from an Old German given name beginning with this element.
Wolfe English
Variant of Wolf.
Wolter German
From the given name Walter.
Wolters Dutch
Means "son of Wouter".
Womack English
Of uncertain origin. One theory suggests that it indicated a dweller by a hollow oak tree, derived from Old English womb "hollow" and ac "oak".
Wood English, Scottish
Originally denoted one who lived in or worked in a forest, derived from Old English wudu "wood".
Woodcock English
Nickname referring to the woodcock bird.
Woodham English
Indicated a person who had a home near a wood, derived from Old English wudu "wood" and ham "home, settlement".
Woodrow English
From a place name meaning "row of houses by a wood" in Old English.
Woodward English
Occupational name for a forester, meaning "ward of the wood" in Old English.
Woolf English
Variant of Wolf.
Wootton English
Derived from Old English wudu "wood" and tun "enclosure, town".
Wörner German
From the given name Werner.
Wörnhör German
From the given name Werner.
Wortham English
Derived from the name of a town in Suffolk, England meaning "enclosed homestead".
Wouters Dutch
Means "son of Wouter".
Wragge English
Derived from the Old Danish given name Wraghi, a variant of Vragi.
Wray English
Originally denoted someone who came from any of the various places of this name in northern England, from Old Norse vrá meaning "corner, nook".
Wright 1 English
From Old English wyrhta meaning "wright, maker", an occupational name for someone who was a craftsman. Famous bearers were Orville and Wilbur Wright, the inventors of the first successful airplane.
Wyatt English
From the medieval given name Wyot.
Wyman English
From the Old English given name Wigmund.
Wyndham English
From the name of the town of Wymondham, meaning "home belonging to Wigmund", from the given name Wigmund combined with Old English ham meaning "home, settlement".
Wynne English
Derived from the given name Wine.
Yong English
Variant of Young.
Young English
Derived from Old English geong meaning "young". This was a descriptive name to distinguish father from son.
Younge English
Variant of Young.
Yoxall English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Yoxall in Staffordshire, itself derived from Old English geoc "oxen yoke" and halh "nook, recess".
Zeegers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".
Zegers Dutch
Means "son of Sieger".
Zilberstein Jewish
Ornamental name meaning "silver stone", from Yiddish זילבער (zilber) and שטיין (shtein), both of Old High German origin.
Ziskind Jewish
Ornamental name meaning "sweet child", from Yiddish זיס (zis) meaning "sweet" and קינד (kind) meaning "child", both words of Old High German origin.
Zuiderduin Dutch
Means "southern dune" in Dutch.