[Surname] Re: Help, Please!!!
A tough one for me because the ending doesn't necessarily match the beginning ... but sometimes they are indeed from different origins ...more often not ...

I'll take a stab at it though (always willing to at least try ...)

It looks English, certainly the first syllable ...Wilt- can be related to names like William, meaning ultimately strength (or strong will) or like Wilton, it may mean "well" as in a 'spring' ...

The -gen part is more difficult for me (maybe less so for others?), but at least one possibility is the Latin root "Genus" meaning 'kind' or 'type' (and often evolved into "born")... and Latin was used in England for a long time so maybe it's a hybrid word ...

So ultimately maybe it means something along the lines of "born of the strong-willed one" or "born near the well or spring" ...

Again, just a drunken' guess ...from a guy who drinks too much and reads too much etymology ...

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Messages

Help, Please!!!  ·  Amber wiltgen  ·  11/26/2004, 4:45 PM
Re: Help, Please!!!  ·  Sean Foglai  ·  11/26/2004, 9:38 PM
Thank You!  ·  Amber Wiltgen  ·  12/18/2004, 7:02 PM
Re: Help, Please!!!  ·  Jim Young  ·  11/28/2004, 5:33 PM
Wiltgen  ·  Andy ;—)  ·  11/28/2004, 10:44 PM