Surname Wöbbe - Meaning and Origin
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Wöbbe: What does the surname Wöbbe mean?
The last name Wöbbe is of Germanic origin and has been found mainly in Germany, as well as in other European countries including Austria, France, Poland, and the Netherlands. The exact meaning is uncertain, though it may have been derived from the Middle High German word “woben" which means “to weave". It is possible that it may have been a habitational name derived from a place where weaving was done or where a family of weavers lived.
Other suggestions for the meaning of the name include having derived from “woben” (to beat or defeat), and being a nickname or descriptive name for someone with a wobbly gait. It could also have been a nickname given to someone due to their nervous or jittery behaviour.
The earliest known instance of the surname Wöbbe in recorded history dates back to the 14th century, when Peter Wobbelen of Bocholt was mentioned in a document in 1396. Since then the name has appeared on documents and archives in many parts of Germany, primarily in Wesfalia, Bavaria, and the Rhineland.
Throughout the centuries the surname Wöbbe has not undergone much variation in spelling. Today, it is still mostly found as Wobbe as well as Wöbbe, Woebbels, Wobbeloos, Wobben, and Wöbbels.
Order DNA origin analysisWöbbe: Where does the name Wöbbe come from?
The last name Wöbbe is most commonly found in Germany. According to World Population Reviews, the last name is the 190th most common name in Germany, with approximately 62,350 people having the surname. Wöbbe is also found in low numbers in the Netherlands and the United States.
In Germany, the Wöbbe surname is mostly concentrated in the northwestern part of the country. Ancestry maps indicate that, within Germany, the surname is primarily located in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, with smaller clusters in the states of Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hesse. Additionally, it appears that the surname is also present in the small border town of Gravenbruch which is located just North of Frankfurt am Main.
To a lesser extent, Wöbbe is also found in the Netherlands, primarily in the Dutch provinces of North Holland and Drenthe. In the United States, World Names Profiler estimates there are only around 200 individuals with the last name Wöbbe, largely concentrated in the northeastern part of the country in states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
Overall, the last name Wöbbe is most common in Germany, with smaller populations found in the Netherlands and United States.
Variations of the surname Wöbbe
The surname Wöbbe has several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variants are Woebe, Wöbe, Woebbem, Woebbe, Woeben, Wöbbem, and Woebener. All of these spellings derive from the name Wöbbe, which is a Low German patronymic name derived from the personal name “Wobbo.” This personal name is derived from “Waldeboji,” a Germanic or Old Saxon name meaning “ruler of the woods.”
An uncommon variant of Wöbbe, Wiepke, can be found in some older records, but this is not used today. Another variant, Wober, can also be found in some parts of Germany, but this is also quite rare.
Wöbbe can also be found as a compound name, such as “Wöbben-Ruddeswinde,” which is a Low German name meaning “row of the wind of the woods.” This is a combination of the personal name “Wobbo” and the name “Ruddeswinde,” which is derived from the word “rod,” meaning “wood.”
The surname Wöbbe is also found across Europe in forms such as Wöbbie, Wöbble, Wöbbelrud, Wöbbler, and Wöbbort. Wöbbie is a Low German diminutive of “Wobbo,” while Wöbble and Wöbbelrud are Low German names derived from “rod,” meaning “wood.” Wöbbler and Wöbbort are Low German corruption of “Wobbo” and “Ruddeswinde,” respectively.
Overall, the surname Wöbbe has numerous variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin, all of which are derived from the personal name “Wobbo,” meaning “ruler of the woods.”
Famous people with the name Wöbbe
- Matthias Wöbbe: German football manager
- Amos Wöbbe: Dutch graphic designer and illustrator
- Simon Wöbbe: Dutch painter
- Astrid Wöbbe: German painter
- Edward Wöbbe: Dutch sculptor
- John Wöbbe: German lyricist
- Bets de Wöbbe: Dutch jazz singer
- Max Wöbbe: German painter
- Jan Wöbbe: Dutch composer and orchestral conductor
- Friedrich Wöbbe: German concert organist
- Ed Wöbbe: American football player
- David Wöbbe: German actor
- Annemarie Wöbbe: Dutch children's author
- Bruno Wöbbe: German television director
- Hendrik Wöbbe: Dutch Lutheran theologian