Wiedeman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The German state of Bavaria is the ancestral home of the Wiedeman family. Wiedeman is a local name, first used as a surname for someone who lived near a willow tree or near a meadow. The name is composed of the elements Wieden, which derives from the German word weide and can mean either willow or meadow, and mann, which means man.

Early Origins of the Wiedeman family

The surname Wiedeman was first found in Bavaria, where the name could be considered to have made a major contribution to the feudal society which shaped the course of early European development. The name became prominent in civil affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the widespread tribal and national conflicts, as each group sought supremacy in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Wiedeman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wiedeman research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1841, 1852 and 1870 are included under the topic Early Wiedeman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiedeman Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Wiedeman include Wiedemann, Wiedman, Wiedmann, Wiedeman, Wiemann, Wieman, Wiedemar, Wiedmar, Wiedemer and many more.

Early Notables of the Wiedeman family

Prominent among members of the name Wiedeman in this period include

Carl Wiedemann, who began as a major in the Austrian army, rose to general major and then Commander of the papal Gregor Order of Knights...
Carl's brother, Ernst Wiedemann von Warnhelm, was a colonel in Prague, Bohemia, and Graz, Styria...

Wiedeman Ranking

In the United States, the name Wiedeman is the 17,924^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Wiedeman migration to the United States +

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Wiedemans to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Wiedeman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Joseph Wiedeman, who arrived in Arkansas in 1904 2

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)