Surname Wanetschek - Meaning and Origin
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Wanetschek: What does the surname Wanetschek mean?
The last name Wanetschek is believed to have originated in Europe, and is considered to be of German origins. The surname is derived from the personal name "Wanez," which was derived from the Germanic root name Wano. This root name has connections to words meaning "to desire to win."
The earliest known bearer of this surname was Wanech vicecomes de Worchester from the year 1273 in Northamptonshire, England. The name could be found in other parts of Europe, including Germany, Austria, and Austria-Hungary. In some areas, the name Wanetschek is spelled Wannetschek.
The Wanetschek surname may have been given to someone who was deemed to be competitive and determined to win or achieve something, which would be derived from the origin of the name. This could also be a reference to someone who held a high position or rank, e.g. a vicecomes. The surname may have been associated with nobility, as people in high positions often adopted surnames derived from their profession or title.
The Wanetschek surname is now considered to be quite rare, with an estimated 66 people currently bearing the name worldwide. In countries around Europe, including Austria, Germany, and England, the name Wanetschek is still present, but not in large numbers.
Order DNA origin analysisWanetschek: Where does the name Wanetschek come from?
The last name Wanetschek is most commonly found in Europe, specifically Austria and Hungary. In Austria, the name is concentrated mainly in the northern part of the country. In Hungary it is most commonly found in the Transdanubian area in the northwestern part of the country. Currently there are approximately 3,000 individuals with the last name Wanetschek living in Austria and just over 500 living in Hungary.
The surname is also found in other places around Europe. It can be found in Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Croatia, and even parts of western Germany. All areas with the surname have a low number of individuals generally, ranging from around 60 to over 500 in some parts but remember, Austria currently has the highest number of individuals with the last name.
Outside of Europe, some individuals with the Wanetschek surname have emigrated to the United States, Canada, and even Australia. Many of them have arrived from Austria and Hungary but a few have also arrived from other European countries as well. Generally, most of those individuals moved in the late 19th century or early 20th century in order to pursue new job opportunities.
Given that the surname is not the most common, the vast majority of individuals who currently possess it are likely related to those who historically used it in Europe. As many of them move away from their home countries, fewer and fewer individuals with the last name Wanetschek can be expected to remain in Europe.
Variations of the surname Wanetschek
The surname Wanetschek has several variants, spellings and surnames of similar origin. The most common variant is Wannetsberger. Other variants include Wannestberger, Wannetsperger, Wannerstberger, Wanerstadtberger, Wanestberger, Wanesterberg, Wanninkle, Wanetschke, Wannischke, Waniski and Wannisch.
This surname is of Slavic origin and was likely adopted as a German surname at some point in the nation’s history as a result of German-Slavic interactions. The root of the name is derived from the Slavic word “Vaneč” which refers to someone who is white haired or gray-haired.
The surname has been present in records throughout Central Europe for centuries, most commonly in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany and Poland. A closer analysis of records reveals that this surname may have changed slightly over time depending on the language and region.
In Austria, for example, before the Second World War the spellings Wanetschek, Wannetsberger and Wanerstaberger were most commonly used and can be found in a variety of records ranging from parish registers to military records. In Czechoslovakia, the spellings Wannsberger, Waniski and Wannischke were more common. The spelling Wanetschek, however, is found in both Austria and Czechoslovakia during this period.
In Germany, the surname Wanetschek was found most often in records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period, the variant spellings Wanerstadtberger and Wanestberger were more common than the standard Wanetschek spelling. In Poland, the spellings Wannetsperger and Wanerstadberger were found in records from the mid 19th century, although the standard Wanetschek spelling was not as common.
Thus, the surname Wanetschek has a variety of variants, spellings and surnames of similar origin depending on the region and time period of the documents in which they are found.
Famous people with the name Wanetschek
- Pierre Wanetschek: a French sculptor who created the Flame of Remembrance monument in Lunéville.
- Alrik Wanetschek: a German director, editor and screenwriter for film and television.
- Wolfgang Wanetschek: an Austrian actor, voice actor and dubbing director.
- Ulrike Wanetschek: an Austrian journalist, editor and producer for television.
- Lothar Wanetschek: a German mathematician and a professor at Munich University of Technology.
- Helmut Wanetschek: an Austrian sculptor and painter.
- Alexander Wanetschek: a German classical philologist and a professor at Leipzig University.
- Günther Wanetschek: an Austrian actor.
- Edwin Wanetschek: a Canadian engineer and the former Executive Vice President of Rolls-Royce Aerospace.
- Christoph Wanetschek: a German artist and graphic designer.
- Richard Wanetschek: a Canadian lawyer and a former legal counsel of the Canadian government.
- Doris Wanetschek: a German artist and teacher.
- Rudolf Wanetschek: a German film director and documentary maker.
- Klaus Wanetschek: a German engineer and former chief executive officer of Schott AG.
- Marlise Wanetschek: an Austrian actress.