Woltman

This unusual name is of German origin, and is an occupational surname found as 'Woltman' and 'Waltman', first given to someone employed as a servant to a man called Walter, derived from 'Walt' or 'Wolt' a short form of the personal name, with 'mann', man, servant. 'Walter' is an early Germanic compound name, composed of the elements 'wald', rule, with 'heri, hari', army. The surname 'Woltman' is first recorded in England in the late 18th Century, when trade links with Germany were strong, in the entry in the parish registers of St. Mary's Whitechapel, Stepney, of the christening of one Henry Woltman, on November 1st 1737. The arms granted to Johannes Waltman (see below) are those of a gold lion, rampant, against a tree, on a field of azure. The marriage of Martin Woltman and Harriet Monshusan was recorded at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, on April 30th 1843. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Johannes Waltman, which was dated circa 1680, Germany, Rietstap's Armorial General, during the reign of King Leopold 1, Holy Roman Emperor, 1658-1705. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.