Wertz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Switzerland

The German name Wertz has evolved from several different sources. First, the name may be a derived from the Middle High German word "wert" meaning "river island," or "river bank." Secondly, it may have derived from the ancient personal name Werner, composed of the Old High German "warjan" meaning "protection" and "hari" meaning "army." Thirdly, the name may be derived from the Middle High German word "wurz" which meant "greenery" or "herb." Additionally, the name Wertz may have been an occupational name for a green grocer. Finally, it also possible that as a surname, Wertz was derived from a place name, such as the town named Wurzberg, in the Odenwald region.

Early Origins of the Wertz family

The surname Wertz was first found in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Southwestern Germany, where a Werzo Carpentarius was listed as residing in Worms in 1277. Another early instance of the name is of Conrad der alt Wurz (the elder Conrad,) who was listed in the "Wurttembergische Viertelsjahrhefte fur Landesgeschichte," as being a citizen of Horkheim in 1370.

Early History of the Wertz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wertz research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1417, 1477, 1487, 1510, 1563 and 1590 are included under the topic Early Wertz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wertz Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wertz, Werz, Wert, Wurz, Wurtz, Wirz and others.

Early Notables of the Wertz family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wertz Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wertz Ranking

In the United States, the name Wertz is the 3,233^rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Wertz migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wertz Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Friederich Wertz, his wife Anna Eva Schickner Wertz, and their two children who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1747
Johann Tiel Wertz, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Peter Wertz, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Wilhelm Wertz, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
Jacob Wertz, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1755 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wertz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francis Wertz, who landed in New York in 1818 2
John P Wertz, who arrived in Mississippi in 1847 2
Gotlieb Wertz, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 2
Franz Joseph Wertz, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1851 2
Barbe Wertz, and her four children, who came from Alsace to North America in 1853

Wertz 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:

Wertz Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Carl Wertz, aged 24, a miner, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rangitikei" in 1884

Contemporary Notables of the name Wertz (post 1700) +

Robert C. Wertz (1932-2009), American politician who served for 32 years as a Republican member of the New York State Assembly
William "Bill" Charles Wertz (b. 1967), American former Major League Baseball player
Victor Woodrow Wertz (1925-1983), American Major League Baseball player
George M Wertz (1856-1928), American politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Fernand Wertz (b. 1894), Belgian football coach and striker

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)