Wait (name)

Wait meaning and variations

The word 'Wait," anciently spelled Wayghte or Wayte, is derived from the old high German wahten (to keep watch); it is common in the sense of guard or watchman to all the Teutonic languages,[1] the German wacht, Dutch vaght, Swedish vakt and English watch. When used as a verb, its meaning is "to stay in expectation of"; as a noun, it denotes a minstrel watchmen.[2]


When surnames were generally introduced into England in the eleventh century, those who held an office in most cases added its designation to their Christian names, thus: Richard, the minstral-watchman, who was known as Richard le (the) Wayte, afterward contracted to Richard Wayte. The name has since been spelled Wayte, Wavt, Wayght, Waight, Wait, Waitt, Wate, Weight, Waiet, etc.[2]

Notable people include

See also

References

  1. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. C. & G. Merriam Co. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 Wait, John Cassan (1904). Family records of the descendants of Thomas Wait, of Portsmouth, Rhode Island (1 ed.). New York: JC Wait. p. 4.
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