Wieland
A German surname from an old personal name, originally linked to the legendary smith Wayland.
The #6,402 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 58,100 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wieland is generally understood as a surname taken from an old Germanic given name, attested in medieval forms such as Old German Wiolant and related spellings. The name is connected with the legendary craftsman Wayland the Smith, whose name appears in Old English as Weland and in Old Norse as Völundr. In surname use, it is best treated as a hereditary form built from that older personal name rather than as a word meaning anything transparent in modern German.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and appears in older records in several spellings, including Weyland and Weiland. Because it derives from a famous heroic figure, it belongs to a broad class of surnames that began as personal names and later became family names. Modern bearers are found chiefly in Germany and in German-descended communities elsewhere, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is tied to one of the best-known smith figures in Germanic legend, the same character later familiar in English as Wayland Smith.
From the historical record
“Weylepp. Wigland: Wiegland — Wieland — Weiland. Wigman: Wiegmann — Wigmann — Wiechmann — Wiemann —”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen