Show ContentsWirt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Wirt

What does the name Wirt mean?

The German surname Wirt was derived from the Low German word "werth," denoting an inkeeper or landlord.

Early Origins of the Wirt family

The surname Wirt was first found in Thuringia, where the family was known for its contributions to the prosperity and culture of the emerging feudal society. The family branched into numerous houses, many of which acquired estates and manors throughout the surrounding regions.

Early History of the Wirt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wirt research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1460, 1519, 1520, 1665, 1702, 1728, 1730, 1772, 1791, 1806 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Wirt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wirt Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Werthen, Werthern, Wurthern, Woerthern, Worthen, Worthern, Warthern, Werther, Werthenberg, Worther, Werther, Werten and many more.

Early Notables of the Wirt family

Notable members of the surname Wirt in this period were

  • Wigand Wirt (1460-1519), a German theologian best known for his polemic writings attacking the Catholic doctrine of the immaculate conception

Wirt Ranking

In the United States, the name Wirt is the 10,272nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Wirt migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wirt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Jacob Wirt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
  • Jacob Wirt, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 2
Wirt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Wirt, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Wirt (post 1700) +

  • William Albert Wirt (1874-1938), American superintendent of schools in Gary, Indiana who developed the Gary Plan for the more efficient use of school facilities
  • William Wirt (1772-1834), American author and statesman, 9th United States Attorney General (1817-1829), eponym of Wirt County, West Virginia
  • Elizabeth Washington Gamble "E.W." Wirt (1784-1857), American author, best known for her book Flora's Dictionary, an alphabetical list of over 200 flowers from acacia rose to zinnia, each with their scientific names
  • Václav Wirt (1893-1962), Czech gymnast at the 1920 Summer Olympics
  • James Wirt Newman (b. 1902), American politician, Secretary of State of Ohio, 1883-85
  • William Wirt Herod (1835-1906), American politician, Candidate for Indiana State Senate, 1866; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana, 1872; Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1879; Candidate for Mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana, 1891 3
  • William Wirt Gilmer (b. 1955), United States Navy Captain, the 22nd and 24th Naval Governor of Guam
  • William Wirt Kimball (1848-1930), U.S. naval officer and an early pioneer in the development of submarines
  • William Wirt Virgin (1823-1893), American politician, Member of Maine State Senate, 1865-66; Justice of Maine State Supreme Court, 1872-93 4
  • William Wirt Courtney (1889-1961), American Democratic Party politician, City Judge in Tennessee, 1915-17 5


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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