Wittman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The bountiful region surrounding the Rhine river is the birthplace of the name Wittman. A single name was, at one time, all that people needed. However, increasing ease of travel and the burgeoning populations forced people to adopt a hereditary surname to set themselves apart from others. A common form of surname created in the Rhineland was the local name. Originally denoting the proprietorship of the village or estate, the German preposition von, which means from or of, was used with local names. The surname Wittman was given to someone who lived in the area that was referred to as widem which was originally derived from the German word denoting church property. Thus the estates or farms lived in by the original bearers of the surname were owned by the church. In early times the Church was the largest landowner in Europe. Many farmers and peasants alike lived on land that was considered church property.

Early Origins of the Wittman family

The surname Wittman was first found in the Palatinate in the Rhineland valley, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and many leaders sought their support in their search for power.

Early History of the Wittman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wittman research. Another 316 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1638, 1639, 1642, 1646, 1667, 1675, 1687, 1712, 1719, 1724, 1730 and 1870 are included under the topic Early Wittman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittman Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Wittman include Widmann, Widman, Widemann, Wideman, Witmann, Witman, Wittmann, Wittman, Whitman and many more.

Early Notables of the Wittman family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wittman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittman Ranking

In the United States, the name Wittman is the 7,929^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Wittman migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Wittman, or one of its variants above:

Wittman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Martin Wittman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710-1714 2
Jacob Wittman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
Gottfried Wittman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1772 2
Caspar Wittman, who landed in New York, NY in 1782 2

Wittman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Urs Wittman, aged 42, who landed in St Louis, Missouri in 1848 2
Fred Wittman, aged 35, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1874 2
Catharina Wittman, aged 33, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 2
Catherina Wittman, aged 62, who landed in New York, NY in 1876 2
Johann Wittman, aged 41, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Wittman (post 1700) +

Wayne Wittman, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1996
Robert J. Wittman (b. 1959), American Republican politician, Mayor of Montross, Virginia, 1992-96; Member of Virginia State House of Delegates, 2006-07; U.S. Representative from Virginia 1st District, 2007-
Carl R. Wittman, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly from Lincoln County, 1938
Trevor Wittman (b. 1974), American boxing and MMA trainer
Sylvester Joseph "Steve" Wittman (1904-1995), American aviator and airplane designer
Scott Wittman (b. 1955), American director, lyricist, and writer
Robert J. "Rob" Wittman (b. 1959), U.S. Representative for Virginia's 1st congressional district
Randy Scot Wittman (b. 1959), American professional basketball player and coach
Brian Wittman, American musical instrument maker, inventor of the xaphoon
Julius "Baldy" Wittman (b. 1907), American professional football player for the Massillon Tigers
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)