Wiman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family name of Swedish or Scandinavian origin, borne by people with this particular surname
2. A surname common in Sweden and elsewhere in Scandinavia, carried by individuals and families
3. Denoting a Nordic family name that originated in Sweden and is found among its descendants abroad

Etymology: In Sweden, "Wiman" is a surname built from "vi," a word meaning sacred place, combined with "man." The name thus carries a religious sense: a family name that once tied a bearer to a holy site. The same spelling appears in English as a variant of "Wyman," another surname, so the two forms are closely related even though they reached English by different routes. A different branch sits in German. "Wiman" there is an Americanized form of "Weimann," a German surname that was simplified in spelling after its bearers emigrated to the United States.