The Historical Research Center Witzel Family Name History he German surname Witzel is of patronymic origin, deriving from the name of the father of the original bearer. In this instance, the surname Witzel derives from the personal name Wizo, which in turn has two different origins. First, the personal name Wizo is a pet form of personal names deriving from the root word 'wid' which derives from the Old High German 'witu' meaning 'forest, wood', also from the Old High German 'wit' meaning 'wide'. Research also indicates possible origin coming from the Old High German 'wizzi' meaning 'wise'. The personal name Wizo is also found as a pet form of Germanic names deriving from the root 'wig', which in turn derives from the Gothic 'weihan' meaning 'battle, fight' and also from the Gothic 'weihan' here meaning 'to bless'. Some etymologists believe, that the personal name Witzel is a pet form of the Germanic personal name Werner, which derives from the Old High German 'waeren' meaning 'to protect'. The surname Witzel and its variant forms of Witze, Witzl, Witschel and Witzlin can be found in documents dating back to the eleventh century, which make it one the earliest recorded Germanic surnames. One Wicilinus Wernher was the bishop of Strassburg in the year 1020. Wizo Badeloga was residing in K�ln (Cologne) in the year 1142. Documents for the year 1293 indicate one Wicelo was the abbot of Georgental, near Gotha. One named Wiczel was a resident of Grevendorf, as documents for the year 1416 indicate. A coat of arms was granted to Wernher Witzl in Augsburg in the year 1496. 09-06-2006 � Witzel. The Historical Research Center. 2004. Family-Crest.com. Last retrieved on October 2, 2006: http://www.names.com/ � � Home � Site Menu � Contact �