Wild Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Wild last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Wild last name
Meaning of the Wild last name: wild, untamed. Wild is a German nickname from Middle High German wilde, "wild, untamed", and also "strange, foreign", for an unruly man or an outsider. In some families it marked a family living on rough, untilled ground, or an occupational name for a gamekeeper. The surname is most common in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Switzerland. The same word gave the English surname Wild or Wilde, a nickname for a wild or reckless person, found especially in Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire. In German-speaking lands Wild is also found in Austria and the Tyrol, and the form Wilde is more typical of northern Germany. Compounds such as Wildner and Wildmann belong to the same family of names. Many Wild families emigrated from southern Germany and Switzerland to the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries, settling in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Wild name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Wild name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Switzerland, Austria and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Your full Wild pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Wild coat of arms for you.
Wild name FAQ
What does the Wild name mean?
Wild, untamed. Common variants include Wilde, Wildt, Wildner.
Where does the Wild surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in Switzerland, Austria and the United States.
Is there a Wild coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Wild crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Wild coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).