Weigand
A German surname meaning “warrior” or “hero,” from an old Germanic word for fighting prowess.
The #8,928 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,219 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Weigand continues an old Germanic word found in Old High German and Middle High German as wigant, meaning “warrior” or “hero.” The root is the same Germanic element seen in related forms across early Germanic languages, all connected with battle and fighting. In surname form, it likely began as a nickname or byname for a brave or warlike man.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and appears in older German surname collections as a traditional hereditary family name. English-language surname writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries noted it as a German surname and related it to the Germanic word for “warrior.” It is still encountered today in Germany and among German-descended families abroad.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same ancient Germanic root underlies several related personal names and surname forms across Europe, not just Weigand.
From the historical record
“Wygeyn, Wigeyn ; repr. the O.E. wigend, Warrior [ = O.Sax.«;(^a«(f and O.H.Ger. wigant (mod. Weigand — a Ger. surname] Wygan le Bretun. — Hund. Rolls. WIGAND, v. under Wigan^ WIGANS, WiGAN's (Son): v. Wigan'. WiGFALL (Soand.) Dweller at (app.) the”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)