Over time, surnames were used to indicate an individual’s occupation, place of residence or personal characteristics. Eventually, as surnames are passed down through generations, they become the surname we recognize today.
When researching family surnames, a major aspect is the fact that the spelling or pronunciation of a name undergoes tremendous changes throughout its history. In the Middle Ages, very few people could read or write, so scribes would often record a name simply by its sound. Therefore there are numerous variations of the name Wiegert, and they are Weippert, Wiggert, Wieppert, Weichard, Weiggert, Weigger, Weichert, Weickert, Weicker, Wieger, Wieghardt, Weicker, and Weipert to name a few. The origin of the Wiegert surname is mainly North German and is derived from two Germanic elements: “wig,” meaning “battle” or “war,” and “harti,” meaning “strong” or “brave.” This suggests that the original bearers of this name were strong warriors and brave in battle.
The Birthplace of Modern Germany
The surname Wiegert can be traced back to the province of Brandenburg, which is considered the birthplace of modern Germany. After Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans and the Holy Roman Empire, “marks” (original German word for border) were established around the area of Brandenburg during the 900s. This territory was considered the nucleus of the dynastic power on which the kingdom of Prussia was founded in 1701. More on that another time.
Migration
Between the 30 Years War during the 17th century and the Bubonic plague in the beginning of the 18th century, many families migrated to other areas of Germany. Even from bordering countries. The 30 Years War, 1618-1648, had a devastating impact on marriages and birth rates. It’s estimated the Swedish army destroyed 2,200 castles, 18,000 villages and 1,500 towns in Germany, wiping almost 1/3 of its towns from the map. Further, farmland and crops were destroyed which led to widespread famine. It would take almost a century before populations reached prewar numbers. To escape war and famine, families were forced to move and establish themselves in other areas of the country.
Legacy of Peter Adolph Wiegert
This migration holds true for my ancestors. The areas surrounding the Baltic Sea is mainly flat and most of the residents were living in rural areas and small villages. It is in one of these small villages, Dargun, where the name Wiegert first appears in my family tree. Around the mid-18th century, the records of the Evangelical Church in Dargun, Mecklenburg, Germany, list Peter Adolph Wiegert marrying Anna Elizabeth Spencker on October 31, 1766. Dargun church records also reveal they would go on to have ten children together. Unfortunately, not much else is known about Peter and Anna Wiegert. There is no record of their births or deaths. Nor is there any record of who their parents might have been.
The good news is that because of church records, we can trace most of their ten children down through the generations to modern times. From Peter and Anna Wiegert to current family members, there are ten generations.
