Contents [hide]

Wittmann History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Wittmann History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Wittmann is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of early British times to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is a name for a person with a pale complexion or blond hair. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. The name means "white man" 1 as far back as the 13th century when the poem Piers Plowman, (line 5195) notes "a Wightman of strengthe." 2

Alternatively, the name could have been a baptismal name as in 'the son of Wigmann.' "I strongly suspect the baptismal origin is the correct one. " 3

Early Origins of the Wittmann family

The surname Wittmann was first found in Oxfordhire. The variant Witmar (a personal name) was found in the Domesday Book of 1086. 4

Withman (d. 1047?), Abbot of Ramsey, called also Leucander and Andrew, was a German by birth. 5

Other early listings of the name or one of its variants include: Witeman fugitius who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1170; William Witman who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Kent in 1230; Richard Wyteman who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1243; and Stephen Whytman who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1243. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Agnes Wyteman in Oxfordshire; John Wyteman in Cambridgeshire; Thomas Wyteman in Oxfordshire and William Wytman in Huntingdonshire. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Johannes Wyghman, Willelmus Wyghman, and Johannes Wyghman as all holding lands there at that time. 3

The Scottish connection should now be explored. "Gilbert Wichtmann was rector of Lyne in 1527, and John Wychtman rendered to Exchequer the accounts of the burgh of Peebles in 1563. Thomas Vychtman was witness in Perthshire, 1547, John Waichtman appears in Melrose, 1606. " 7

Early History of the Wittmann family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wittmann research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1544, 1566, 1612, 1631, 1688, 1716 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wittmann History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittmann Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Wittmann has been recorded under many different variations, including Whiteman, Whitman, Wightman, Whyteman and others.

Early Notables of the Wittmann family

Notables of the family at this time include Edward Wightman (1566-1612), an English Baptist, executed at Lichfield for his views and was the last person to be burned at the stake for heresy in England. "He is said to have...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wittmann Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittmann Ranking

In France, the name Wittmann is the 6,665^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Wittmann family to Ireland

Some of the Wittmann family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wittmann migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Wittmann or a variant listed above:

Wittmann Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Martin Wittmann, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 9
Johan Georg Wittmann, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 9
Georg Adam Wittmann, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 9
Walter Wittmann, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 9
Charles Henri Wittmann, who landed in America in 1777-1783 9

Wittmann Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ernst W Wittmann, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1832 9
Joh Franz Wittmann, who arrived in America in 1844 9
Anna Wittmann, who arrived in America in 1844-1845 9
Auguste Wittmann, who landed in Texas in 1846 9
Margaretha Wittmann, who landed in New York, NY in 1846 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wittmann migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wittmann Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Leonhard Wittmann, who landed in Quebec in 1852

Contemporary Notables of the name Wittmann (post 1700) +

Robert J. Wittmann, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Missouri 1st District, 1986
August Wittmann, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1924
Franz Wittmann Jr. (1983-1987), Austrian rally driver, co-winner of the 1987 Rally New Zealand
Franz Wittmann Sr. (1950-1987), Austrian rally driver, co-winner of the 1987 Rally New Zealand
Michael Wittmann (1914-1944), World War II German tank commander, recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Jürgen Wittmann (b. 1966), German football coach
Henri Wittmann (b. 1937), Canadian linguist from Quebec
Heinz Wittmann (b. 1943), German football player
Heinz-Günter Wittmann (1927-1990), German biochemist known for his research in ribosomes
Fritz Wittmann (b. 1933), German politician
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wittmann family +

Bismarck

Herbert Wittmann (1919-1941), German Signalobergefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 10

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Langland, William, Piers the Ploughman. Translated by J.F. Goodridge. Penguin Books, 1959. Original copy was published in 13th century.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details