Wentz
A German surname most likely shortened from a name beginning with Wend- or Wenz-, often tied to a personal name or regional form.
The #4,231 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 36,861 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wentz is usually treated as a German surname formed as a short or diminutive type from older names beginning with Wend- or Wenz-. In German surname material, it is commonly linked to personal-name forms rather than to an occupation or place-name. The exact root can vary by region, so the name is best explained as a reduced hereditary form of a German given-name base rather than a single fixed meaning.
History
The name appears in German-language surname lists and was carried into English-speaking countries by immigration. In North America, Wentz is especially found among families of German origin. The spelling has remained fairly stable, though related forms such as Wendt and Wendt occur alongside it.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname indexes often file Wentz near a cluster of similar German names like Wendt, Wenrich, and Werner, reflecting how close many of these spellings are in origin and sound.
From the historical record
“Wellhauk and Willhauk, Wellock and Welock, Wellkins, Wenberg; Wende, Wendt, and Wendte; Wentker or Wendtker, Wentvvorth, Wentz, Wen- ZELL, Wermers, Wernborn, Werner, Wesberg, Wesch, Wesselhoeft, Wessly, AVesson, Westgord, Westlotorn, AVetherell and AA^itherell, AVethern, Wetzler, Wewaka ; Whaples or Wh apples…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)