Surname Wörth - Meaning and Origin
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The Wörth Surname: My Unanticipated Journey into Genetic History and Shared Human Heritage with iGENEA DNA Test
Taking an iGENEA DNA test had unprecedented implications not only for understanding my genetic roots, but also for developing a more profound connection to my surname, 'Wörth.' As I unraveled connections to ancient Germany and the resilient Celts, the name started to stand for something more, becoming an emblem of genetic history and shared human heritage.
O. Wörth
read moreWörth: What does the surname Wörth mean?
Wörth is a German surname derived from the word "werthen," which is an Old High German term for “enclose.” This name originates from places named Wörth or Wörthen, most of which were parts of castles or fortifications in which the families of nobles and knights lived in the Middle Ages. This surname also indicates that the original bearer of this name was from or related to a place of such a type.
The prefix “Wörth” is also found in some compound surnames, such as Wörther, Wörthmiller, Wörthschlag, Wörthschimmer, and Wörthschütz. These surnames either originated as pet forms of Wörth (i.e., Werth, Wurth), or they indicate a place from which the family hailed who had "Wörth" as part of its name.
Wörth can also be Anglicized as Wirth or Worth. Famous bearers of this surname include German diplomat and politician, Peter Wörth, Danish pastor, Johan Wörth, and German chemists, August Wilhelm Wörth and Ernst Wörth.
The name is still common in Germany and Austria and is also found among descendants of German immigrants in many other countries around the world.
Order DNA origin analysisWörth: Where does the name Wörth come from?
The last name Wörth is most commonly found in Germany today. It is a German surname that originated in the area of Bavaria, located in the modern-day German state of Bavaria. It is an old Bavarian name that dates back to at least the 14th century. It is derived from a Middle High German term meaning "enclosure," referring to a place surrounded by a fence or wall. It is also the name of several small towns and villages in Bavaria.
The name is quite widespread in Germany, and records show that it was also a frequent name amongst German immigrants to the United States in the 19th century. It is estimated that there are currently around 33,000 people in Germany with the last name Wörth, with most of them located in the states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Rhineland-Palatinate.
In recent years, the name has become less common in Central Europe, with more people using the spelling Wirth instead. This spelling change is due to a trend to anglicize Germanic surnames in regions where English is widely spoken. Despite this, the original spelling of Wörth is still relatively common in Bavaria and surrounding states, and it can easily be found among German-speaking communities worldwide.
Variations of the surname Wörth
The surname Wörth is a German name derived from words such as "Wurt" or "Werde", which can mean a number of different things such as an enclosure, a shore, a fortification, or a market. The name is common in the Germanic regions of Germany and Austria, and has many variant spellings and surnames.
The most common variant spellings of the name Wörth are Woert, Woertz, Wert, Werth, and Worth. These spellings can commonly be found in Germany, Austria, Holland, Hungary, Switzerland, and the United States. Additionally, the surname can also be encountered in other countries as Worthe, Waerth, Warth, Verth, Verheyen, Verhoeven, Verheyen, and Vergeer.
The name is also differentiated from the original spelling by the use of diacritical marks, such as the Wörth or Wöhrt variation. In some cases, the French spelling of the name is also used, which is Worthe.
Additionally, there are a number of surnames which could have spawned from the name Wörth. These include names such as Wörtz, Würth, Werth, Werthmann, and Verheyen, which are all family names.
It is worth noting that the surname Wörth is also common throughout other German-speaking countries, such as Switzerland, Hungary and Liechtenstein. As such, the name has been adapted to a variety of different spellings in different areas.
Famous people with the name Wörth
- Cornelius Wörth: Cornelius Wörth (2000-) is a German track and field athlete who specialises in the javelin throw. He is an eight-time German javelin champion and he represented Germany in the 2018 European Championships.
- Ernst Wörth: Ernst Wörth (1890-1973) was a German painter who rooted his art in Swiss Constructivism but later developed into an exponent of the Art Informel movement. He is best known for his abstract paintings that ambitiously converted his often religious and mystical views.
- Isabell Wörth: Isabell Wörth (1982-) is a German dressage rider who stabilised her country’s dominance in the sport by winning the silver individual medal in dressage at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She also won a bronze medal in team dressage at the 2008 Olympics and a bronze medal in team dressage at the 2017 European Dressage Championships.
- Kai Wörth: Kai Wörth (1958–2014) was a Swiss entrepreneur who founded a chain of business hotels. He developed the business hotel concept and ran the highly successful Wörth & Partner Group from 1998-2014. He was also known for his philanthropic activities.
- Michael Wörth: Michael Wörth (1949-2004) was a German medical doctor and specialist on tropical medicine. He was a professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and extensively worked in South Africa where he led projects against bilharzia and malaria among other illnesses.
- Wilhelm Wörth: Wilhelm Wörth (1884–1952) was a German physiologist most known for his involvement in studies of the human blood-circulatory system. He authored several research-based books on the subject, among others “The Physiological Disturbances of Metabolism” (1925) and “Circulation of the Blood in the Healthy Man” (1926).