Wittig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The distinguished German surname Wittig comes from the former southwestern duchy of Swabia, and has several possible origins. Firstly, it may be derived from the Germanic personal name "Wido," which itself derives from either the Old High German "witu," meaning "forest," or the Old High German "wit," meaning "wide." Alternatively, the name may be derived from the place names "Wittichen" or "Widig."
Early Origins of the Wittig family
The surname Wittig was first found in southern Germany, where it was extremely popular in the Middle Ages as a first name due to its use in the Nibelungenlied, a Middle High German epic poem written in the 12th century. Wittich was the mythical hero of the Dietrich Sage, and it is likely that the original bearer of the surname was the son of someone who was named Wittig out of admiration for this hero.
Early History of the Wittig family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wittig research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1318, 1395, 1419, 1460, 1610, 1654, 1684, 1836 and 1906 are included under the topic Early Wittig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Wittig Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Wittig, Wittich, Weddig, Witche, Witicher, Witigo and others.
Early Notables of the Wittig family
Notables with the surname Wittig during this period were
- Bartholomäus Wittig (1610-1684), a German scholar and painter
Wittig Ranking
In the United States, the name Wittig is the 17,079th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
Wittig migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Wittig Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Johannes Wittig, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1764 2
- Ernst Wittig, who landed in America in 1783 2
Wittig Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Joh Wittig, who settled in Baltimore in 1834
- Charles Dr Wittig, who took an oath of allegiance in Philadelphia in 1838
- John Michael Wittig, who was naturalized in St. Louis in 1840
- John Michael Wittig, aged 40, who landed in St Louis, Missouri in 1840 2
- Wilhelmine Wittig, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Wittig migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Wittig Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Ernst Wittig, a mercenary from Brunswick who settled in Canada after fighting in the American Revolution
Wittig migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Wittig Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Francis Wittig, aged 38, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Gellert" 3
- Carl J. Wittig, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Steinwaerder" 4
Contemporary Notables of the name Wittig (post 1700) +
- Sue Wittig, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 26th District, 1996
- Ronald G. Wittig, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Idaho 1st District, 2000
- George H. Wittig, American politician, Mayor of Frostburg, Maryland, 1885-86
- Don Wittig, American Republican politician, Candidate for Texas State Attorney General, 1994
- John Carl Wittig (1914-1999), nicknamed "Hans," an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1938 through 1949
- Joseph Wittig (1879-1949), German theologian and writer
- Peter Wittig (b. 1954), German diplomat
- George Wittig (1897-1987), German organic chemist who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1979)
- Dr. Sigmar Wittig (b. 1940), Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center
- John Wittig (1923-1987), Danish film actor who appeared in 30 films between 1950 and 1987
- ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
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)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GELLERT 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Gellert.htm
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STEINWARDER 1849 aka STEINWAERDER. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Steinwarder.htm