Wahl is a Norwegian and Danish surname which roots from the German ''wal'' meaning 'field'. The name may also originate from the German word ''Wahl'' (meaning "election" or "choice") or from

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

, in which ''wahl'' means "from Italy".Polonsky, Antony, ''The Jews in Poland and Russia'', vol. 1, Littman Library of Jewish Civilization. 2010, p. 12. Notable people with the surname include: *

Anne Wahl Anne Wahl (born August 25, 1953) is a Norwegian sprint canoer who competed in the mid-1980s. At the 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an internati ...

(born 1953), Norwegian sprint canoer *

Arthur C. Wahl Arthur Charles Wahl (September 8, 1917 – March 6, 2006) was an American chemist who, as a doctoral student of Glenn T. Seaborg at the University of California, Berkeley, first isolated plutonium in February 1941.Asbjørn Wahl Asbjørn Wahl (born 1951) is a Norwegian researcher and author. He is currently the director of the Campaign for the Welfare State, an adviser for the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees The Norwegian Union of Municipal and Ge ...

(born 1951), Norwegian researcher and author *

Ballie Wahl Johannes Joubert (Ballie) Wahl (10 July 1920 – 25 June 1978) was a scrum-half rugby union player for South Africa's Springboks. Upbringing Wahl was born on 10 July 1920 in Paarl, South Africa. He was the son of Francois Constant Wahl and Ceci ...

(1920–1978), South African rugby player *

Bernt Wahl Bernt Rainer Wahl is a mathematician, mentor, entrepreneur, and author. He served as CEO of Factle Corporation, Datahunt, and Dynamic Software, and is a former member of the UC Berkeley faculty. He teaches engineering and serves as an Industry Fe ...

, American author, entrepreneur and mathematician * Betty Wahl (1924–1988), American novelist and short story writer *

Bobby Wahl Robert Martin Wahl (born March 21, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, and Milwaukee Brewers. Wahl played college baseb ...

(born 1992), American baseball player *

Charlotte Wahl Charlotte Wahl née Mundel, (1817–1899), was a Latvians, Latvian philanthropist who founded of many charitable organizations and is said "to have been the most decorated woman of her time." Life and work Charlotte Mundel was born in Riga, La ...

(1817–1899), Latvian philanthropist * Charlotte Johnson Wahl (1942–2021), British artist and mother of Boris Johnson * Corrine Wahl (born 1954), American model and actress *

Edgar de Wahl Edgar Alexei Robert von Wahl or de Wahl (23 August 1867 – 9 March 1948) was a Baltic German teacher, mathematician and linguist. He is most famous for being the creator of Interlingue (known as Occidental throughout his life), a naturalist ...

(1867–1948), Baltic German linguist and scholar *

Eduard Wahl Eduard Wahl (March 29, 1903 – February 6, 1985) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and former member of the German Bundestag. Life Wahl joined the CDU in 1945 and became chairman of the Heidelberg district ...

(1903–1985), German CDU politician *

Erik Wahl Erik C. Wahl is an American graffiti artist, speed-painter, author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur based in San Diego. He owns The Wahl Group, a consultancy firm, and has spoken at conventions by Microsoft, Disney, and other corporations. ...

, American artist and entrepreneur *

François Wahl François Wahl (13 May 1925 - 15 September 2014) was a French editor and structuralist. Biography François Wahl was editor at the Éditions du Seuil, a publishing company in Paris.Bill Marshall, ''France and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and ...

(1925–2014), French editor and structuralist *

Frank-Michael Wahl Frank-Michael Wahl (born 24 August 1956 in Rostock) is a former German handball player who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics, in the 1988 Summer Olympics and in the 1992 Summer Olympics. In 1980 he was a member of the East German handba ...

(born 1956), German handball player *

George Douglas Wahl George Douglas Wahl (October 15, 1895 – March 24, 1981) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of Brigadier General. A veteran of both world wars, he distinguished himself as Artillery Commander and later as Assi ...

(1895–1981), American military officer * Grant Wahl (1974–2022), American sports journalist *

Harry Wahl Harry August Wahl (17 July 1869 – 31 July 1940) was a Finnish businessman, violin collector, and sailor who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. He was a crew member of the Finnish boat Nina, which won the silver medal in the 10 metre cla ...

(1869–1940), Finnish businessman, violin collector, and sailor *

(1902–1975), Canadian political figure *

Hauke Wahl Hauke Wahl (born 15 April 1994) is a German professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for 2. Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli. Career Wahl joined Holstein Kiel from Dynamo Dresden in 2012. After playing for the club's U19 team he made the ...

(born 1994), German footballer *

Henry Wahl Henry Wahl (9 March 1915 – 13 October 1984) was a Norwegian speed skater. He competed in the 10,000 m event at the 1948 Winter Olympics The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games (german: V. Olympische Winterspi ...

, (1915–1984) Norwegian speed skater *

Jacques Wahl Jacques Wahl (born 26 February 1971) is a South African cricketer. He played in three first-class matches for Boland in 1993/94. See also * List of Boland representative cricketers This is a list of all cricketers who have played first-clas ...

(born 1971), South African cricketer *

James M. Wahl James M. Wahl (Given name: Jens Magnus Wahl) (January 7, 1846 - February 9, 1939) was a pioneer Norwegian American settler in South Dakota. He served as the first legislator of Lincoln County, South Dakota in the Dakota Territorial Legislature. Wa ...

(1846–1939), Norwegian American settler and South Dakota legislator *

Jan Boyer Wahl Jan Boyer Wahl (April 1, 1931 - January 29, 2019) was an American children's author. He was a prolific author of over 120 works, and was known primarily for his award-winning children's books, including ''Pleasant Fieldmouse'', ''The Furious Fl ...

(1933–2019), American children's book author * Jean Wahl (1888–1974), French philosopher *

Jens Wahl Jens Wahl (born 24 July 1966) is a German former footballer. Career Wahl began his career with FC Hansa Rostock in the DDR-Oberliga, and won one cap for East Germany. After reunification, Hansa won the final, transitional East German champions ...

(born 1966), German footballer *

Johann Salomon Wahl Johann Salomon Wahl (1689, Chemnitz - 5 December 1765, Copenhagen) was a German artist who became a court painter in Denmark. Biography He trained as a painter between 1705 and 1711 with David Hoyer (1667-1720), the court painter in Leipzig. Afte ...

(1689–1765), German artist * John Eshleman Wahl (1933–2010), American civil rights attorney * Jonathan Wahl, American mathematician * Karl Wahl (1892–1981), German Nazi '' Gauleiter'' of

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

Ken Wahl Ken Wahl (born October 31, 1957) is a retired American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s, best known for the CBS television crime drama '' Wiseguy''. Early life and career Wahl, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, Note: ...

(born 1954), American film and television actor *

Kermit Wahl Kermit Emerson Wahl (November 18, 1922 – September 16, 1987) was an American professional baseball player. An infielder, he played all or parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball between and for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Athle ...

(1922–1987), American baseball player * Kurt Wahl (1912–?), German fencer * Lutz Wahl (1869–1928), American military general * Margit Wahl (1900 or 1903–1949), Hungarian operatic soprano singer *

Mats Wahl Mats Wahl (born May 10, 1945 in Malmö, Sweden) is a Swedish author. He has published 43 books but also written several plays for the theatre, TV programs, novels and movies. ''Vinterviken'' (in English: the Winter bay) is one of his most famous b ...

(born 1945), Swedish writer *

Meir Wahl Meir Wahl or Meir Wahl Katzenellenbogen, (also known as Meir Shauls and MAHARASH) was a Polish rabbi. He was the son of Saul Wahl, who according to legend, was king of Poland for one day. At the beginning of his rabbinical career, Wahl was the ...

, Polish rabbi *

Mitch Wahl Mitch Wahl (born January 22, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey player with Dresdner Eislöwen in Germany's second-tier DEL2. He was selected in the second round (48th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. Wahl pla ...

(born 1990), American hockey player *

Moritz Callmann Wahl Moritz Callmann Wahl (March 28, 1829 – October 15, 1887) was a German writer. Biography He was born in Sondershausen, Germany on March 28, 1829. He studied Oriental languages at Leipzig under Julius Fürst and Heinrich Leberecht Fleischer. L ...

(1829–1887), German writer * Nathalie Wahl (born 1976), Belgian mathematician *

Nicholas Wahl Anthony Nicholas Maria Wahl (7 June 1928 – 13 September 1996) was an American historian. Born in New York to Jewish Hungarian immigrant parents, he had an academic career encompassing Harvard, Princeton and New York University, focusing on Fre ...

(1928–1996), American historian *

Otto Wahl Otto Wahl (9 July 1904 – 1 July 1935) was a German cross-country skier. He competed in the men's 18 kilometre event at the 1928 Winter Olympics The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games (french: IIes Jeu ...

(1904–1935), German cross-country skier * Paul Wahl (1906–1982), German weightlifter * Philippe Wahl (born 1956), French business executive * Phoebe Wahl, American illustrator, sculptor and children's book author *

Rakel Wahl Rakel Wahl (March 18, 1921 – December 14, 2005) was a Norwegian cross-country skier who competed in the 1950s. She finished sixth in the 10 km event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capita ...

(1921–2005), Norwegian cross-country skier * Richard Wahl (1906–1982), German fencer * Richard L. Wahl, nuclear medicine physician * Robert Wahl (born 1927), American football player *

Rosalie E. Wahl Sara Rosalie Wahl (née Erwin; August 27, 1924 – July 22, 2013) was an American lawyer and judge and the first woman to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Early life of adversity and tragedy Born in Caney, Kansas, Wahl suffered several tr ...

(1924–2013), American jurist *

Saul Wahl Saul Wahl Katzenellenbogen (1541–1617) was a wealthy and politically influential Polish Jew who is said to have briefly occupied the throne of Poland on 18 August 1587. He has historically borne the nickname, "''Le roi d'un jour''" (king for a ...

(1541–1617), legendary king of Poland *

Veleslav Wahl Veleslav Wahl (15 May 1922, Prague - 16 June 1950, Prague) was a Czech ornithologist and resistance activist who was executed in 1950. He was named after his father, a Prague lawyer, who was born in 1891 and killed in 1942 by the Nazis. As a chil ...

(1922–1950), Czech ornithologist and resistance activist * Will Wahl, contestant on '' Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X'' * William Henry Wahl (1848–1909), American scientific editor and journalist * Wolfgang Wahl (1925–2006), German actor

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahl German-language surnames Jewish surnames Yiddish-language surnames Surnames from nicknames Norwegian toponymic surnames