Surname Wenzlaw - Meaning and Origin
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Wenzlaw: What does the surname Wenzlaw mean?
The last name Wenzlaw is a German surname derived from the phrase “Wenz laaw” from the Thuringian dialect of old German, which translates to “Law of the Vandals.” The legal system of the Vandals, a Germanic tribe, likely developed from many centuries of barbarian migrations, invasions, and wars across Europe and beyond. It was later refined by the Franks, Germanic tribes of the Middle Ages, who adopted Roman law.
The name Wenzlaw, therefore, holds an age-old legal connotation. This surname can be traced to the 14th and 15th century, when it first appeared in Germanic records. The name is associated with credibility and wisdom. Records show that a few families with this last name were among the most prominent lawyers, judges, and legal minds of the time.
In modern times, the surname Wenzlaw remains widespread throughout Germany. Many people with this last name have since moved to other parts of Northern Europe, the United States, and other regions of the world. The name has become a reminder of the deep legal history and traditions that form the foundations of Germany and much of European culture.
Order DNA origin analysisWenzlaw: Where does the name Wenzlaw come from?
The last name Wenzlaw is a German-language surname. It has its origin in the eastern region of what is now known as the Czech Republic, especially in a region known historically as Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. It is likely derived from the German words “wenn”, meaning “when”, and “slaw”, meaning “man”.
Today, the last name Wenzlaw is most common in Central Europe, particularly the Czech Republic and Slovakia, followed by Germany, Austria, and neighboring countries. It is also found throughout the United States, Australia, and Canada, where German is spoken by immigrant populations.
In the Czech Republic, there are over 1000 people with the surname Wenzlaw. In Germany, the number of people with this name has increased significantly since the mid-1990s, when data first became available. In the United States, there are just under 500 people with this surname, while in Australia and Canada, the surname is present in dozens of people.
It is likely that the last name Wenzlaw was originally confined to the eastern regions of what is now the Czech Republic, but today it has spread to many other countries, through emigration, especially to the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany.
Variations of the surname Wenzlaw
Wenclawi, Wężławski, Wężłowski, Venslov, Wenzelov, Wężlowski, Venslau, and Venslow are all variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin as Wenzlaw.
Wenzlaw is derived from the German surname Wenzlau or Wenzlow, which is composed of two elements. The first element is the personal name Wenza, whose ultimate origin is unclear, although it may be related to either ‘winaz’, which meant ‘friend’ or ‘hospitable person’, or the German word ‘wenz’, meaning ‘to cut’. The second element is the suffix -low or -lau, which was used to mark a location, such as a village, forest or meadow, often referring to someone from a particular area or who had moved there.
Wenza is believed to have originally been a personal name, which likely first appeared in the Middle Ages. This name was eventually adopted as a surname, and was likely used by a family living near the village of Wenzlow in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. It is also possible that the name was used as a nickname for someone thought to resemble a Wenz or a Wenzlar.
The surname Wenclawi is related to Wenzlaw and is derived from the abbreviated form of the personal name Wenza combined with the Slavic suffix -ewicz, a patronymic suffix which means ‘son of’. Wężławski, Wężłowski, and Wężlowski are derived from the name Wenzlow combined with Polish patronymic suffixes -owski or -owski, which mean ‘descendant of’.
The other variants, Venslov, Wenzelov, Venslau, and Venslow, are all phonetic variations of the original German surname Wenzlow. These spellings are often used to differentiate families of the Wenzlow surname living in different geographic regions.
Famous people with the name Wenzlaw
- Liesl Wenzlawowicz: Liesl Wenzlawowicz is an Australian film actress known for her roles in the comedy-drama A Revolutionary Spy (2016) and the horror film Stay (2017).
- Jerzy Wenzlawski: Jerzy Wenzlawski was a renowned Polish cinematographer who worked on some of the most iconic films of his generation. He is best known for collaborating with director Andrzej Wajda on several of his most groundbreaking films, such as The Wedding (1972), Man of Iron (1981) and Danton (1983).
- Karl-Heinz Wenzlaw: Karl-Heinz Wenzlaw was a German historian and a professor at the University of Cologne. He specialized in German, French, and European history from the 17th to 19th centuries.
- Kurt Wenzlaw: Kurt Wenzlaw was a German World War II U-boat commander from 1939 to 1944. He is best known for sinking 18 British ships, making him the fourth most successful U-boat commander in history.
- Gloria Wenzlaw: Gloria Wenzlaw is an American actress best known for her roles in the Lifetime television series Living with the Enemy (2007), the science fiction action film The Warriors Gate (2016), and the drama-thriller End of Echoes (2016).