Surname Wallburg - Meaning and Origin
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Wallburg: What does the surname Wallburg mean?
The surname Wallburg has roots in German and means "ruler of the wall." Historically, the ruling castes within German cities or towns built walls around the places they governed, and those in charge of the walls were referred to as the wallburgs. During the Middle Ages, these wallburgs held a lot of power as they had the responsibility of protecting the city from outside forces.
The word Wallburg can also be traced to words such as Walburg and Vaulbourg, meaning a fortified place, or stronghold. The word Walburga is also believed to originate from the Old-Germanic name Walaburga and likely refer to someone who comes from the same place, referring to a fortification or stronghold.
Today, the surname Wallburg is rare and typically found mostly in the southern German region as well as in the neighboring countries of Austria and Switzerland. It is believed to have been derived from Wallburg Castle in Bavaria which was destroyed in the late seventeenth century during the period of the Thirty Years's War.
People with the Wallburg surname may also have came from the Germantown Township in Pennsylvania or Wallenburg in Lower Saxony. In more recent years, the surname has spread to countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand due to German emigration in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisWallburg: Where does the name Wallburg come from?
The last name Wallburg is a relatively rare surname today. It originated in the late 19th century in German-speaking countries. The ancestors of the Wallburg family likely came from Bavaria, Hesse or Prussia. The earliest known traced record of the name Wallburg appears in 1779, when Johannes Wallburg was registered as a soldier in a Hessian regiment in Kassel.
Today, the Wallburg surname is still found in Germany, primarily in the states of Hesse and Bavaria, as well as in other German-speaking countries such as Switzerland and Austria. Beyond Germany, the Wallburg surname is also found in the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of German immigrants are found.
The Wallburgs have spread across the world to become a global family. Researchers of the name have documented a total of 13,000 individuals living around the world who share the Wallburg last name. While not common, most people with the Wallburg surname still living in Germany can be found in the regions of Hesse and Bavaria, where it has the longest recorded history.
Variations of the surname Wallburg
The surnames Wallburg and Wallberg are variants of the same origin. They are both derived from the German surname Wallburg, which translates to “Town of Walls” in English. The name likely comes from either a place or a town with an edifice or protective wall around it.
Wallburg and Wallberg are both commonly used surnames in Germany and other German-speaking countries. It is also sometimes spelled as Wellburg, Welburg, or Welberg. Other variants that may be related include Wallburger, Wallburger, Wallburgerin, Wallburg-Price, and Wallburger-Price.
Wallburg and Wallberg are also spelled in a variety of other ways, such as Walburg, Walburga, Walberg, Välberg, Wälberg, Weilburg, Völberg, Wölberg, Vaelberg, and Voelberg. In some cases, the surnames may even be spelled in an anglicized manner, such as Walburg, Wallburger, Wellburger, and Wellberg.
In some cases, the surname may have become mixed with other surnames or altered over time. Examples include Wallenberg, Walleberg, Wallimburgh, Wallumberg, Walbergen, and Walluumberg.
Given the the range of spellings and variants of the surname Wallburg, it may be helpful to conduct genealogical research in order to determine which variant is applicable to your particular family.
Famous people with the name Wallburg
- Harry Wallburg: German actor.
- John L. Wallburg: American businessman who was CEO of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.
- Oscar Wallburg: German actor best known for his recurring role as the innkeeper in The Great Escape film.
- Heinz Wallburg: German politician who served as a mayor of a town in Niedersachsen.
- Kingsley Wallburg: Canadian activist and lawyer who campaigned for Indigenous rights.
- Mark Wallburg: American Christian rock singer and songwriter.
- Al Wallburg: American baseball player who played for the St. Louis Browns in 1932.
- Ethel Wallburg: American actress active during the 1910s, best known for her theatrical roles.
- Richard Wallburg: German actor and dramatist.
- Lewis Wallburg: German firefighter and politician.