Weigand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The ancient and distinguished surname Weigand indicates "son of Wigand," a personal name derived from the Breton name "Wiucon," meaning "high and noble." 1 This name was introduced into England at the time of the Norman Conquest of 1066. Singular forms of the name were still found in Normandy as late as 1198: Radulphus Wigan; and Richard Wiguen. 2

Early Origins of the Weigand family

The surname Weigand was first found in the county of Cambridgeshire, where one named Wighen 3 was listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Another early bearer of the name was Radulfus filius Wigein, who was living in Leicestershire in 1163. 4

Alternatively, the family could have originated in Wigan a parish, borough, and markettown, which has separate jurisdiction, and the head of a union, chiefly in the hundred of West Derby. 5 6 7

"This place is stated by Camden to have been originally called Wibiggin. The nucleus of the town is supposed by Whitaker to have been a Saxon castle, but its origin should perhaps be assigned to a still earlier period, as three Roman roads unite here. The vicinity is said to have been the scene of some sanguinary battles between the Britons, under their renowned King Arthur, and the Saxons; and the discovery, about the middle of the 18th century, of a large quantity of human bones, and the bones and shoes of horses, over an extensive tract of ground near the town, tends to confirm this opinion. " 5

Very early records also show the following forename entries that phonetically match early Latin entries, but these forenames have been lost over time: Wyranus Man-seal; Wuganus de Wyleby; and Wygan le Bretun, Essex. 8

Early History of the Weigand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weigand research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1279, 1379, 1592, 1631, 1632, 1633, 1637, 1667, 1696, 1731, 1732, 1738 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Weigand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weigand Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wiggin, Wiggins, Wigan, Wigans, Wiegand, Wigand, Wigens and many more.

Early Notables of the Weigand family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Captain Thomas Wiggin (Wiggins, Wiggan, or Wiggans) (1592-1667), the 1st Governor of the Upper Plantation of New Hampshire (1633?-1637.) He was born in Bishops Itchington, Warwickshire and arrived in New England on the Winthrop Fleet. By 1631 he had been appointed by the proprietors of the "Upper" or "Dover" Plantation to be their chief agent or governor. He settled in what is now Stratham. He was a close ally of Governor John Winthrop of the neighboring Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1632 he traveled back to England, and returned the following year with expanded...
Another 145 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Weigand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weigand Ranking

In the United States, the name Weigand is the 8,980^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 9

Migration of the Weigand family to Ireland

Some of the Weigand family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weigand migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Weigand Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Weigand, aged 52, who arrived in New York in 1708 10
Johan Lorentz Weigand, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 10
Nicolas Weigand, who landed in America in 1777-1783 10
Oswald Weigand, who arrived in America in 1777-1783 10

Weigand Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Weigand, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 10
Leonhard Weigand, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 10
George Weigand, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 10
Ernst Weigand, who arrived in Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Colchis" 10
Casper Weigand, aged 30, who arrived in St Louis, Missouri in 1848 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Weigand (post 1700) +

Nestor Weigand (b. 1939), American Republican politician, real estate businessman; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 2004 11
Peter Michael Weigand (1941-2011), American sprint canoer
Andreas Weigand (b. 1945), American sprint canoer
William Keith Weigand (b. 1937), American Roman Catholic bishop
John W. Weigand, American politician, Representative from New York 32nd District, 1892 11
Harry G. Weigand, American politician, Mayor of Englewood, Colorado, 1954-55 11
Wilhelm Weigand (1862-1949), German Neoromanticism and Realism period poet and writer
Gustav Weigand (1860-1930), German linguist and specialist in Balkan languages

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html