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The surname Wensell is a patronymic surname; that is, it is derived from the personal name of the original bearer. Patronymic surnames arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of Charlemagne (742-814) was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were also widespread in Germany. As a result, many typical English and French names are of Germanic origin and have cognates in other European languages. In this instance, the surname is derived from the given name Wenzel, a diminutive of the German name Wenze. This personal name is related to the Hungarian name Wenceslas, the 10th century saint immortalized in the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas.
The surname Wensell was first found in Pomerania, where a member of the family was a knight in 1260. Many important members came from this family, such as Wenzel, a Bohemian king who died in 1305. From Pomerania, members of the family gradually migrated to different areas in Europe, such as Breslau, where the branch Wenczusch was recorded in 1345. The branch Wenczel Schickentanz was recorded in 1365 in Bruenn. A member of the branch Wenzel was an electorate in Sachsen and died in 1388. In 1414, the branch Wenczlab was recorded in Maehren.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wensell research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1769, 1856 and 1868 are included under the topic Early Wensell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Wensel, Wenzel, Wentsel, Wentzel, Wensell, Wenzell, Wentsell, Wentzell, Wenczel, Wenczlab, Wenczusch, Wentzke, Wentske, Wentziehn, Wentzig, Wentzler, Wentze, Ventzke, Ventske, Venceke, Ventzel and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Wensell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: