Wilt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

The history of the Wilt family name begins in the German province of Bavaria. Wilt is a nickname surname, a class of German names derived from eke-names, or added names, that described people by a personal characteristic or other attribute. Wilt is a name for a person who was extremely wild and passionate. The surname Wilt is derived from the German word wild, which means the same in English.

Early Origins of the Wilt family

The surname Wilt was first found in Bavaria, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation that would later play an important role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. The Wiltz variant claim descendancy from the eponymous Wiltz, a city in north-western Luxembourg, capital of the canton Wiltz, home of the Wiltz Castle which belonged to the former Counts of Wiltz.

Early History of the Wilt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilt research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1573 and 1855 are included under the topic Early Wilt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilt 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 Wilt include Wilder, Wildt, Wilde, Wild, Wilt, Wildter and others.

Early Notables of the Wilt family

Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wilt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilt Ranking

In the United States, the name Wilt is the 4,012^nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Wilt 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 Wilt or a variant listed above:

Wilt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Leendert Wilt, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1662 2

Wilt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Adam Wilt, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 2
Valantine Wilt, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
Hans Georg Wilt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
Philip Wilt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Andreas Wilt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 2

Wilt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John M Wilt, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1806 2
Barbara Wilt, who settled in America in 1846
Dirk VanDer Wilt, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 2
Antonie VanDer Wilt, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 2
Joseph Wilt, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1847 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wilt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wilt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Ambrose Wilt, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 3
Caroline Wilt, aged 24, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 3
Alfred S. Wilt, aged 1, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Wilt (post 1700) +

W. William Wilt, American Republican politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Blair County 2nd District; Elected 1964 4
Tony O. Wilt, American Republican politician, Elected Virginia State House of Delegates 26th District 2011 4
Thornton W. Wilt, American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Jefferson County, 1963-68; Chair of Jefferson County Democratic Party, 1975 4
Roy W. Wilt, American Republican politician, Elected Pennsylvania State House of Representatives 8th District 1980; Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 50th District, 1981-90 4
Raymond E. Wilt (b. 1907), American Republican politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Allegheny County 17th District, 1951-60 4
Mike Wilt, American Republican politician, Member of Oklahoma State House of Representatives 11th District; Elected 2004 4
L. W. Wilt, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Greenbrier County, 1942 4
Abram D. Wilt, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Dayton, Ohio, 1882-86 4
Daniel Wilt Ormsbee (1884-1985), American architect

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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html