Possible origins of the name Zerweck
There
are several different theories about the meaning and origin of our name. So
far, none of these hypotheses seems really convincing to me; but perhaps other
arguments may come up after this publication in the internet which facilitate a
decision in favor of one or another theory.
The first theory, assuming the origin of
the name in German speaking countries, considers the similarity of the sounds w
↔ b (there is also the name Zerbeck) and thus
creates a connection to Beck, Becker, or Bäcker,
German terms for “baker”. Also “Weck(en)” as buns or bread rolls are called in Baden-Württemberg, the
Somewhere I have read (I unfortunately do
not remember where) that the syllable "zer"
would mean “upper”, “on the top”, “on the hill” or the like. Then Zerweck
would simply mean "the upper baker” or the “baker on the hill”.
The second theory is based on the
similarity of the name Zerweck or Zerwac with Zerwas or Zervas. This name
is usually deduced from the name Servatius, and thus indirectly from the Saint
Servatius.
As a third possibility it is sometimes
assumed that the name is of a Slavic-language origin. Unfortunately I do
not know any more details. A former colleague from Poland, however, told
me that a derivation from a Polish word was unlikely. On the other hand,
the fact that, in the 19th century, there were American immigrants from
Slovakia named Zerwick may be an indication in favor
of that theory.
Korntal-Münchingen,
Günter Zerweck