Wallraff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Wallraff could be of patronymic origin, derived from the name of the father of the original bearer, indicating the "son of Waldrap." The Germanic personal name Waldrap, is a short form of Walraven, a name used mostly among nobles, knights, and patricians. It stems from the Germanic words "wald" meaning "forest" and "rabe" meaning "raven." Alternatively, the surname Wallraff can be of locative origin, derived from a geographical feature near where the original bearer once dwelled. In this case the surname Wallraff comes from the Germanic "wald" meaning "forest" and the Old Norse "throp" meaning "hamlet or small settlement." Thus the surname may signify "dweller by the forest hamlet."

Early Origins of the Wallraff family

The surname Wallraff was first found in the Lower Rhineland, where it was a popular name. References to the surname can be found in German documents dating back to the very late 13th and early 14th centuries. Detmar Walraven lived in Lubeck in 1299, and one named Walraf was a city official and resident of Herbertingen in 1345. Gobel Walrave was a resident of the city of Cologne in 1417. Andreas Waldraff resided in Constance in 1580, and in 1582 his name is listed as Andreas Wallraff.

Early History of the Wallraff family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wallraff research. Another 43 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1340, 1689, 1720, 1724, 1748 and 1824 are included under the topic Early Wallraff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wallraff Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Waldrep, Waldrip, Waldrop, Waltrap, Waltrip, Waltrup, Walrab, Waldraff, Wallraff, Waldroff, Wohlrab and many more.

Early Notables of the Wallraff family

Notables with the name Wallraff during this period were Verschliffen Walrabe, who was the Archbishop of Cologne in 1340, and the Wallrave family of Prussia, who...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wallraff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wallraff migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wallraff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hermann Jakob and Josef Wilhelm Wallraff, both emigrated from North Rhineland-Westphalia in 1881

Contemporary Notables of the name Wallraff (post 1700) +

Günter Wallraff (b. 1947), German author of documentary literature