Wirth
A German surname meaning “innkeeper” or “host,” from the common word for a landlord or tavern keeper.
The #3,592 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 31,164 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wirth is a German occupational surname from Middle High German and Old High German words meaning a host, landlord, or keeper of an inn or tavern. The historical form is closely related to German Wirt, with spelling variation reflecting older orthography. In this sense, the name originally identified someone who ran or kept a place of hospitality.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and appears in older records with spellings such as Wirth and Wirt. It is one of several German occupational surnames built from everyday social roles, so it could arise independently in different places. German-speaking immigration carried the name into North America, where it remains relatively uncommon but recognizable.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname lists sometimes gloss Wirth simply as “landlord,” but in everyday German it could also mean the keeper of an inn or tavern.
From the historical record
“suff. -CT-] WIRTH (Ger.) Landlord ; Tavern- or Res- taurant-Keeper [M.H.Ger. O.H.Ger. wiri\ WOHLGEMUTH (Ger.) Joyous, Gay [Ger. . wohl, M.H.Ger. wol, O.H.Ger. wola, well -t- Ger. gemut(h, disposition, spirit, mood ; M.H.Ger. gemuot, O.H.Ger. gimuoti]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)