Surname Werlich - Meaning and Origin

Werlich: What does the surname Werlich mean?

The last name Werlich is a German surname meaning “guardian” or “protector”. It is derived from the words “wer”, which means “man” or “guardian”, and “Lich”, which means “place” or “house”. The name originally referred to someone who was a guard or protector of a house or property owned by a family.

The origin of the Werlich surname dates back to the 14th century and can be found in both Germany and Switzerland. During this time, the name was most likely used as an occupational name for a professional guard or watchman. Alternatively, it could have been used as a nickname for someone who was brave, strong, and conscientious.

The Werlich surname has many spelling variations, including Werlich, Warlich, Wirlich, and Wurlich. These variations are found throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

The Werlich surname can be found in Germany with relative frequency. The United States also has a strong presence of individuals with the surname, as many German immigrants settled in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is also found in many other countries, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

Overall, the surname Werlich is indicative of a strong sense of protection and guardianship, as well as bravery and strength of character. It is a proud representation of the Wurlich family’s years of guardianship and responsibility.

Werlich: Where does the name Werlich come from?

The last name Werlich is most common today in Germany, but is also found in smaller concentrations elsewhere in Europe. In Germany, Werlich is part of a larger group of surnames derived from the Germanic personal name Werald, meaning "power of the spear". It is among the top 500 surnames in Germany, and is especially concentrated in the Bavarian region.

The name was also carried by immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Records have been found of Werlichs and derivatives such as Werliech in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Thus, anyone with that name in those countries today is likely the descendant of German immigrants.

In the U.S. in particular, Werlich has spread from the original immigrant pockets in Pennsylvania and Ohio. There are now Werlichs spread across the country, from California in the west to Massachusetts in the east. The surname is reasonably well distributed throughout the larger cities, though it tends to be more common in the northern states.

Overall, the last name Werlich is still quite common in Germany today, particularly in Bavaria, and is also gradually spreading further afield as the descendants of 19th and 20th century immigrants spread across the globe.

Variations of the surname Werlich

The surname Werlich is of German origin and can have several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin associated with it. Variants include Warlich, Werlich, Warlick, Warlick, Worlich, W�rlick, and Verlich. It is also often seen spelled as Werleke, Werlecke, Werlek, Werlichs, W�rlicht, and Werley.

The various spellings are found in regions across Europe including Germany, the Netherlands, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Worlike, Wurli, Wurlee, and Werleke are common alternative spellings of Werlich. In some cases, the last letter of the surname may be replaced with an �s� as in Werlichs. In some areas, such as in Switzerland, the name is often seen spelt Verlich.

Surnames of the same origin as Werlich include Werleke, Warlich, Worlich, W�rlick, Warlick, Werlecke, Werlek, W�rlicht, and Werley. It is also sometimes thought that the surnames Wehrle and W�rle are related to Werlich; however, this connection is now disputed as these surnames likely have a different origin.

In some cases, Werlich may be of Jewish origin and be a corrupted form of the Yiddish name W�rlich. The Yiddish surname W�rlich is derived from the German name W�rlein which is derived from the old German name Werrlach and means ‘valley dweller’.

Famous people with the name Werlich

• Jonathan Werlich: Greek-Israeli model, actor, and TV presenter.
• Johann Christoph Werlich: German composer of the Baroque era.
• Anne-Marie Werlich: Dutch speed skater.
• William Werlich: American sportscaster and former ice hockey executive.
• Stephen Werlich: Vice president for the department of music at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
• Wilhelm Werlich: German sculptor.
• Uli Werlich: German modification artist and producer.
• Michael Werlich: CEO and founder of the modern art gallery Werlich Berlin.
• Ludwig Werlich: Austrian film producer and entrepreneur.
• Richard Werlich: former Swiss ice hockey player.
• Guenther Werlich: Former German speed skater.
• Frank Werlich: Former German rugby union player.
• Ute von Werlich: German television actress.
• Peter Werlich: South Australian speedway driver.
• John Werlich: American composer and pianist.
• Martin Werlich: Swedish director and digital artist.
• Kristin Werlich: Editor for the German magazine DIE WELT.
• Jana Werlich: German theatre director and actress.
• Wolfgang Werlich: German World War II Luftwaffe fighter pilot and recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.
• Gottlieb Werlich: Swiss composer.

Other surnames

WerliWerlinWerlisch