Wismer (surname)

The Wismer family has descended through the lines of the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name reveals that an early member was a wise or learned person. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English words wis, meaning wise or knowledgeable, and man, meaning man. Spelling variations include: Wiseman, Wyseman, Wysman, Wisman and others.

First found in Essex where they were anciently seated, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Henry and Catherine Wiseman, who settled in Maryland in 1634; John Wiseman, who settled in Virginia in 1652; Henry Wiseman, who settled in Maryland in 1719.

Another source has given the name from a German town, Wismar. In English, the name of the city is pronounced w'iz mer.