Surname Waigant - Meaning and Origin
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Waigant: What does the surname Waigant mean?
The last name Waigant is of Germanic origin and is derived from the Germanic personal name Waginhard. In Middle High German, the name means “brave protector” or “bold strength.” It has also been said to mean “bold warrior.” After the Norman Conquest of 1066, the name is likely to have been introduced to Britain by followers of William the Conqueror, and is very common in Devon.
The name is linked to various branches of the Waigant, or Waginhard, family, which have been in Britain since the mid-12th century. Some branches include the names Waygant, Waight, Waite, and Waigant. The Waginhards of Devonshire claim descent from a Norman knight named “Guillaume WAIGINHART” who came with those followers of William the Conqueror. Descendants of the family moved to other parts of England, and to countries like Canada and the United States.
The Waigant last name is associated with a proud, brave ancestry, and people with the Waigant surname are proud to carry on the family’s noble legacy. Whether they continue to live in Devon or move further afield, they are likely to be proud of their heritage and the courage and bravery of those who came before them.
Order DNA origin analysisWaigant: Where does the name Waigant come from?
The surname Waigant is a rare surname from Northern Europe, with the majority of its bearers located in Germany, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom. In Germany, a concentration of bearers of the Waigant family name live in the western state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. Most of these are located in the metropolitan areas of Bonn and Cologne, but smaller pockets of Waigants can be found scattered around the region. Waigants are also well represented in the United Kingdom, especially in England. Most of these are located in the more populous counties such as Lancashire and Yorkshire. Finally, Scandinavia is another region where theWaigant family is very strongly represented, withbearers of the name mainly located in the northern countries such as Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
Despite its limited geographical spread, Waigant is a relatively common surname in those countries where it is recorded. In Germany, it is the 250th most popular surname out of a total of 300,000; in the United Kingdom, it is ranked as the 3,673rd most common surname; and in Finland, it ranks as the 872nd most popular surname. This is indicative of its surprisingly widespread presence in these countries despite its rarity outside of them.
Variations of the surname Waigant
The surname Waigant has various variants, spellings, and other surnames of the same origin. These include Waignet, Wagand, Waigne, Weigand, Wigand, Wiegant, Wygant, Waigner, and Weigant. The surname likely has German, Dutch, English, or Norwegian origins and most likely comes from the pre-seventh century personal name Waigant, which was a combination of the Germanic elements “wig” (“battle”) and “wint” (“friend”).
There are a variety of spellings for Waigant that the surname may have been adapted to over time. It can also be spelled Wagnant, Waighant, Waigne, Waegnian, Wagnon, and Waegniant, all of which share similar origins.
Other surnames of similar origins may also be derived from Waigant such as Wögner, Weigner, Weigener, Wagna, Weigandt, Wigner, Wigant, and Weigunas.
In conclusion, the surname Waigant has a variety of variants, spellings, and other surnames of similar origins. These names likely have roots in Germanic, Dutch, English, and Norwegian cultures and indicate a personal name combination of “wig” (“battle”) and “wint” (“friend”). Similarly named surnames include Wögner, Weigunas, Waigne, and Wigner.
Famous people with the name Waigant
- Anna Waigant: former East German shot put athlete who broke the world record in 1987 and achieved the silver medal at the 1988 Olympics
- Irina Waigant: former Soviet–Russian figure skater who won the bronze medal at the 1993 European Championships
- Paul Waigant: American composer, lyricist and playwright
- Jan Waigant: a former East German slalom canoer
- David Waigant: Australian actor who has starred in films such as The Matrix Reloaded
- Carole Waigant: French director, screenwriter and actress
- Tadeusz Waigant: Polish mathematician and computer scientist
- Andrei Waigant: Russian ambassador to Lithuania
- Vladislav Waigant: former Ukrainian cricket player
- David Waigant: former Canadian Paralympic swimmer