Surname Welty - Meaning and Origin
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Welty: What does the surname Welty mean?
The last name Welty is an English and German name most commonly found in the United States of America. The English spelling of the surname may be derived from the Middle English word "welte", meaning "welted", referring to a type of fabric weaving. The German spelling is likely related to the Germanic root word "welten", meaning 'to rule' or 'to command'.
The earliest known recording of the Welty surname dates back to the seventeenth century as the German farmer, Johannes Welte, who was recorded as living in the year 1643. It appears to have been derived from the old Germanic given name Velten, which itself means 'rule'.
Historically, the Welty surname has been associated with a craft or trade. There are records of paper weavers and dyed cloth manufacturers bearing the Welty name. It is quite possible that the Welty family originally hailed from the south of Germany, possibly the region of Bavaria.
In modern times, Welty is a relatively uncommon last name. There is likely no single origin of the Welty name in America, but it seems to have been taken up by English-speaking people of multiple Germanic regions over time, as well as some native English families.
Most Weltys who live in the United States today appear to trace their ancestry to the eighteenth-century German-speaking immigrants from Europe.
Order DNA origin analysisWelty: Where does the name Welty come from?
The last name Welty is common today throughout North America, including the United States and Canada. The name is derived from an old German name "Welte." It is most common in the Midwest region of the United States, particularly in Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. In 2018, Welty was the 4,417th most popular surname in the United States, with over 20,500 people having the surname. It is particularly common in the cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Cleveland.
The name is also found further afield, in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico. It is uncommon in Europe, but there are families who have moved to the continent in recent years. Canada also has a sizeable Welty population, particularly in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.
The Welty name has been associated with some notable people throughout history. Famous Weltys include the acclaimed writer Eudora Welty, one of the most notable American fiction writers of the 20th century; businesswoman and socialite Irene Craigmile, who was incorrectly identified to be Amelia Earhart; and Clarence and Elizabeth Welty, a couple who founded the Welty's Cedarburg Farmstead in Wisconsin.
Variations of the surname Welty
The surname Welty is a German, Dutch, Jewish, and Swiss-German surname derived from the Middle High German “welt” meaning “foreigner.” The Welty surname is found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, and the United States. Variations of this surname are Welte (German), Welti (Swiss-German), and Weltey (Holland).
The name Welty also appears as Welte, Welti, Weltey, Welth, Weltje, Welticke, Welet, Weltye, and Wely. Surnames that are variants of Welty include Wellty, Wellte, Wilty, and Wolty.
The Welty surname may be a patronym of the German given name “Welde” or “Wald,” or a metronym signifying the son of Volte or Voltoo, an alternative spelling of “Volt,” the German word for lightning.
The Welty surname also has ethnic variants, including Belgische, which means Belgian, and Sasdatige, which means South Germans. Other variants of the Welty surname are Wely and Wilthe, which are Dutch and Swiss variants, respectively.
Today, the Welty surname is most commonly found in Germany and the United States. In the United States, the Welty family is chiefly found in Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio.
In Germany, the surname Welty can also be encountered in various spellings, such as Weltmann, Weltenheimer, and Welteck.
In summary, the surname Welty has various forms and spellings, such as Welte, Welti, Weltey, Welth, Weltje, Weltye, Welet, Weltye, Wely, and more. It also has ethnic variants and other surnames that are derived from it, including Wellty, Wellte, Wilty, and Wolty. The Welty surname is found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, and the United States. In the United States, it is primarily concentrated in Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio.
Famous people with the name Welty
- Eudora Welty: American writer who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for her novel The Optimist's Daughter.
- John Edward Welty: Retired American president of California State University, Fresno.
- Walton Hall Smith Welty: American political figure and banker who was the 33rd Secretary of State of the State of Washington.
- Francis Ogle Welty: American architect, educator, and writer.
- Edwin Grant Welty: American architect who designed the First Christian Church in Indianapolis.
- Arthur S. Welty: American politician and lawyer.
- Walter Welty: American painter, a member of the infamous Darbyite Communion.
- D. E. W. Welty: American Christian pacifist who was a leading figure in the "Peace Problem".
- Eben Sumner Welty: American pioneer and founder of Weltyville, Oklahoma.
- Nancy Welty: American poet and author.