Surname Weichbold - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Weichbold: What does the surname Weichbold mean?
The last name Weichbold is of German origin, and it is a variant spelling of the surname Weißböhl. It is derived from two German words, “weiß” meaning white and “böhl”, an old word for mountains. Thus, the literal meaning is “white mountain”.
In Germany, the name Weichbold has been recorded since the 13th century. At the dawn of feudalism in Europe, a man called Wecheboldus de Weissboehl is recorded in 1276. The family members remained in the same geographical area over the generations. By the 16th century, some members of the family had moved to other parts of the German empire, such as Dresden and Leipzig.
The Weichbold family can be traced through civil records, pre-WWII and church records. Those records indicate that the family members were of the lower gentry and noblesse class, meaning they owned land or made a living from agricultural activities. Their occupations included farming, millers and trades such as baking and miller.
Today, the surname Weichbold is still an active surname in Germany and scattered throughout Europe. There are some records in North America, mainly immigrants from Germany who settled in places such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In the US, records of the Weichbold surname are quite rare.
Order DNA origin analysisWeichbold: Where does the name Weichbold come from?
The last name Weichbold is most commonly found in Germany, where it is estimated there could be up to 13 000 individuals with the name. It is one of the more common surnames there, and can be found all across the country. It is especially prevalent in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg.
The name Weichbold is also quite common in Austria, where it is estimated that around 600 individuals with this name are living. It is not as common in Austria as in Germany, but it is still relatively widespread. Other smaller populations of Weichbold can be found in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia.
The origin of the name Weichbold is a combination of German words, weich meaning “soft” and bald meaning “bold” or “brave”, meaning the name could be translated to “bold but gentle”. That name likely refer to a brave individual who was very even tempered.
The Weichbolds of today are likely the descendants of those who settled in certain parts of Germany, Austria, and other countries long ago. It is possible the original Weichbold family had a military past, as the bravery aspect of the name could refer to their deeds in battle or perhaps even their leadership. Whatever the case, Weichbold today is a common name among those countries of Central Europe.
Variations of the surname Weichbold
The surname Weichbold has quite a few variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Some of these variants include Weihbold, Weybold, Weihbald, Weihbalt, Weihbalde, Weihbaltz, Weibold, Weibbaltz, Weidebold, Weidbold, Weyboldt, Weiboldt, Weidebalt, Weidbald, Weidebaltz, Weybalt and Weylboldt. Most of these variants are Germanic in origin.
The Germanic origin of the surname Weichbold is found in Middle High German and translates to mean “bold in battle” or “strong warrior”. This name was probably originally given to an ancestor who was brave in battle at some point in history.
Aside from its Germanic variants, there are also variants in other languages that could be related to the surname Weichbold. The Dutch variant of the name is Weybold, while the French version is Weybalt.
Due to the popularity of the name in Germany, there are also many surnames derived from Weichbold, such as Weihhold, Weihl, Weichl, Weihle, Weil, Weile, Weilbauer, Weichlauf, Weichstein, Weyland, Weitz, Weigand, Weier and Weyer.
It appears that the surname Weichbold is quite widespread and could be found all over Europe. Thus, it is not surprising that there are so many spelling variations and surnames of the same origin. As such, if you are researching the surname Weichbold, it would be helpful to consider all of its variants in order to get a better understanding of its origins.
Famous people with the name Weichbold
- Andreas Weichbold, German alpine skier and Olympic gold medalist
- Markus Weichbold, Austrian politician and former Interior Minister
- Tobias Weichbold, German alpine skier and World Cup competitor
- Andrea Weichbold, Austrian rider and dressage rider
- Phillip Weichbold, German lawyer and legal expert
- Konrad Weichbold, Austrian football player
- Johann Weichbold, Austrian composer and conductor
- Tobias Weichbold, German sculptor
- Michael Weichbold, Austrian musician and musical director
- Esther Weichbold, German youth psychologist and professor