WEIL Origin of surname
WEIL
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name may be a toponymic (derived from a geographic name of a town, city, region or country). Surnames that are based on place names do not always testify to direct origin from that place, but may indicate an indirect relation between the name-bearer or his ancestors and the place, such as birth place, temporary residence, trade, or family-relatives. This surname however can also be an anagram.
Weil is the name of German towns and villages in Wuerttemberg, and of the village Weil am Rhein in Baden, a region where Jews were living since the 13th century. The presence of Jews in Weil der Stadt (Wuerttemberg), also called Wiel, Wila, Wiele, is documented since the 13th century. This town was the place of origin (or residence) of the 14th/15th century German Talmud scholar, Jakob aus Weil der Stadt ("Jacob from the town of Weil"). In certain cases Weil could be an abbreviation of Weiler (the German for "hamlet"), which is a frequent place name in German-speaking countries and regions, derived from the Latin Villare/Villa, that is "farmstead", it is found as such in the Vosges, in eastern France, with a village called Ville in French, and near the Swiss city of Basle (Basel) with the town Rheinweiler (in German "Weiler on the Rhine"). The family name Weil could also come from Weilheim near Munich in Bavaria (where a Jewish presence is documented since the 14th century), or Weilheim near Kirchheim in Wuerttemberg. Jews are known to have lived in Bavaria in the 10th century and in Wuerttemberg in the 11th century.
The constant endeavor to maintain a Jewish identity whilst adjusting to the foreign environment of the Dispersion has also produced family names apparently surnames that are based on place names, but which actually are anagrams of Hebrew names.
Thus, Weil, as well as Weiler, is often an anagram of Levi, documented in the 18th century with Baruch Levi Weil of Hannover in north Germany; Jonas Levi of Hatten in Oldenburg, north western Germany, who changed his name to Jonas Weil in 1808,and Julien Levy of Besancon, France, who became Weyler in 1919. Weil is recorded as a Jewish family name in 1525; Weiler in 1608; Weill in 1680; Veil in the 17th century; Weyl in 1698; Weyler in 1784; Veille in 1786; Weyhel in the 18th century; Waille in 1793. The 20th century saw the appearance of a great number of variants of Weil, particularly in France, where it assumed forms ranging from from Weel, Vielle and Vay to Vieuville and Vallier to Veltet and Warin. In 1953, a man called Gustave Weil made an anagram of his personal and family name, and became known as Gevel. A Hungarian variant of Weil is Vali, documented in the 19th century. Weil is recorded as a Jewish family name with the German Rabbi Yaakov ben Yehuda Weil (died before 1456), the 17th century German rabbi, Nathanel Ben Naphtali Zevi Weil (1687-1769), and in the 19th century with the German orientalist and author, Gustav Weil (1808-1889), who translated 'The Arabian Nights' into German. Distinguished 20th century bearers of this name include the Bohemian-born Austrian epidemiologist, Edmund Weil (1879-1922), the American nuclear physicist, George Leon Weil and the French philosopher, Simone Weil (1909-1943).
Surnames derive from one of many different origins. Sometimes there may be more than one explanation for the same name. This family name may be a toponymic (derived from a geographic name of a town, city, region or country). Surnames that are based on place names do not always testify to direct origin from that place, but may indicate an indirect relation between the name-bearer or his ancestors and the place, such as birth place, temporary residence, trade, or family-relatives. This surname however can also be an anagram.
Weil is the name of German towns and villages in Wuerttemberg, and of the village Weil am Rhein in Baden, a region where Jews were living since the 13th century. The presence of Jews in Weil der Stadt (Wuerttemberg), also called Wiel, Wila, Wiele, is documented since the 13th century. This town was the place of origin (or residence) of the 14th/15th century German Talmud scholar, Jakob aus Weil der Stadt ("Jacob from the town of Weil"). In certain cases Weil could be an abbreviation of Weiler (the German for "hamlet"), which is a frequent place name in German-speaking countries and regions, derived from the Latin Villare/Villa, that is "farmstead", it is found as such in the Vosges, in eastern France, with a village called Ville in French, and near the Swiss city of Basle (Basel) with the town Rheinweiler (in German "Weiler on the Rhine"). The family name Weil could also come from Weilheim near Munich in Bavaria (where a Jewish presence is documented since the 14th century), or Weilheim near Kirchheim in Wuerttemberg. Jews are known to have lived in Bavaria in the 10th century and in Wuerttemberg in the 11th century.
The constant endeavor to maintain a Jewish identity whilst adjusting to the foreign environment of the Dispersion has also produced family names apparently surnames that are based on place names, but which actually are anagrams of Hebrew names.
Thus, Weil, as well as Weiler, is often an anagram of Levi, documented in the 18th century with Baruch Levi Weil of Hannover in north Germany; Jonas Levi of Hatten in Oldenburg, north western Germany, who changed his name to Jonas Weil in 1808,and Julien Levy of Besancon, France, who became Weyler in 1919. Weil is recorded as a Jewish family name in 1525; Weiler in 1608; Weill in 1680; Veil in the 17th century; Weyl in 1698; Weyler in 1784; Veille in 1786; Weyhel in the 18th century; Waille in 1793. The 20th century saw the appearance of a great number of variants of Weil, particularly in France, where it assumed forms ranging from from Weel, Vielle and Vay to Vieuville and Vallier to Veltet and Warin. In 1953, a man called Gustave Weil made an anagram of his personal and family name, and became known as Gevel. A Hungarian variant of Weil is Vali, documented in the 19th century. Weil is recorded as a Jewish family name with the German Rabbi Yaakov ben Yehuda Weil (died before 1456), the 17th century German rabbi, Nathanel Ben Naphtali Zevi Weil (1687-1769), and in the 19th century with the German orientalist and author, Gustav Weil (1808-1889), who translated 'The Arabian Nights' into German. Distinguished 20th century bearers of this name include the Bohemian-born Austrian epidemiologist, Edmund Weil (1879-1922), the American nuclear physicist, George Leon Weil and the French philosopher, Simone Weil (1909-1943).