Weitzel
A German surname most likely formed from a diminutive of a name beginning with Weitz-, probably linked to a personal name or nickname rather than an occupation.
The #7,295 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,574 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Weitzel is a German surname, and the ending -el often works as a diminutive or familiar form. The name is usually understood as a shortened, affectionate, or derivative form built on a stem like Weitz-, though the exact root is not certain from the excerpts alone. In some cases such surnames may ultimately go back to a personal name, a nickname, or a shortened form of an older Germanic name.
History
The surname is found in German-language naming traditions and later appears in North American records through immigration. The two supplied 19th-century references mention the name only in passing, which supports its recognition as a German surname but does not give a full etymology. In modern usage it is established in the United States, though still relatively uncommon.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The -el ending is a common German surname clue: it often signals a smaller, familiar, or shortened form of an older name.
From the historical record
“Weiss, p. 309 Weissgerber, p. 313 Weitzel, p. 309 Welchans, p. 309 Welty = Walti, Wenger, p. 308 Wenrich, p. 308 Wentz, p. 308”
— Studies in Pennsylvania German Family Names