Surname Wellerhausen - Meaning and Origin
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Wellerhausen: What does the surname Wellerhausen mean?
The last name Wellerhausen is a German surname with an unknown origin. It is most likely derived from a place name, as it is composed of two elements, "welle" and "hausen". Welle is an old German word that means "wave" or "spring" and "hausen" is a word which means "little house".
The name is believed to come from a location where there may have been a source of running water or a spring house. This could have been the namesake of Wellerhausen which would have then been adopted as a surname.
The surname first appeared in records in the 1600s in the Brandenburg region, specifically the Amt Gramzow region. From there the name spread to the more north eastern region of Germany, such as Pomerania and Prussia. It is thought that during the Thirty Years War in the 1600s the family could have moved and relocated between these two regions, which helped spread the surname even further.
Today Wellerhausen is a common name found in Germany and during more recent years the name was carried over to America and other parts of the world by German immigrants.
Order DNA origin analysisWellerhausen: Where does the name Wellerhausen come from?
The last name Wellerhausen is found mainly in the area of the historic duchy of Berg, a region in the western part of Germany in the border area between North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands.
In terms of individual countries, the name is most common in Germany where between 800 and 1000 people bear the name. It is relatively rare in other parts of Europe with only small numbers of people bearing the name throughout the continent. The name is found in countries such as the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, France, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Poland.
The highest concentration of people with the last name Wellerhausen is in the German city of Aachen, which is located near the border of the Netherlands and Germany. In addition, German towns like Willich, Erkenschwick, and Düren have a larger number of residents that share the last name.
Outside of Europe, the number of people bearing the name Wellerhausen is very small. In the United States only around 62 people have this name, and in the United Kingdom only 49 people have been registered with the last name.
Despite the small numbers and its rarity, the last name Wellerhausen can still be found throughout many parts of Europe and beyond.
Variations of the surname Wellerhausen
The surname Wellerhausen is a German language name that is believed to originate from the Middle Ages, and is found mainly in the areas of North Rhine Westphalia, Brandenburg, and Saxony. Variants of the name include Wellerhaus, Wellerhausen, Wellehaus, Welhausen, and Wellehousen.
The spelling of the name is found mainly in two variations: Wellerhausen and Wellerhaus. The original spelling of this surname was Wellerhausen, however over the years the dropped the ‘e’ and simplified the spelling to Wellerhaus.
Surnames that are found to have the same origin as Wellerhausen include Welhausen, Welhaus, Wellhausen, and Wellhaus. These surnames all evolved from the Middle High German word ‘walckenhausen’, which means ‘estate’ or ‘manor house’.
Despite their common origin, each of these surnames is unique in its own right. Wellerhausen, for example, has historically been one of the more common spellings of the surname; however, Wellhausen, Welhausen, and Welhaus have seen more usage in 21st century records.
As with many German surnames, Wellerhausen underwent a spelling change in different areas and over time. In some cases, the ‘e’ was dropped or replaced with an ‘a’. It is also possible that different spelling variations arose due to phonetic spellings of the name in different areas. All of these surnames, however, share the same origin.
Famous people with the name Wellerhausen
- Terence Wellerhausen: British physicist known for his pioneering research in laser physics.
- George Wellerhausen: German entomologist who was one of the pioneers of the study of Coleoptera, the largest order of insects.
- Konrad Wellerhausen: German philologist and linguist, who specialized in Biblical Hebrew and Syriac.
- Victor Wellerhausen: Former Danish professional footballer and coach who, most recently, served as the youth manager at Esbjerg fB.
- Johann Wellerhausen: Art historian and judge who wrote on iconoclasm during the time of the Reformation.
- Erich Wellerhausen: German veterinarian who had an extensive career in animal studies and research.
- Richard Wellerhausen: Musician and composer, known for his works for wind instruments.
- Heinrich Wellerhausen: German theologian and a scholar in the history and text of the Old Testament.
- Carl Wellerhausen: Sociologist and historian who was considered by some to be one of the most prominent German social scientists of the 20th century.
- August Wellerhausen: German botanist who has discovered various species of plants.