The noble family of the Waldgraves or Wildgraves (Latin: ''comites silvestres'') descended of a division of the House of the Counts of Nahegau in the year 1113. When the (a countship named after the river Nahe) split into two parts in 1113, the counts of the two parts, belonging to the

House of Salm The House of Salm was an ancient Lotharingian noble family originating from Salmchâteau in the Ardennes (present-day Belgium) and ruling Salm. The dynasty is above all known for the experiences of the Upper Salm branch which came to be located ...

, called themselves

Wildgrave The noble family of the Waldgraves or Wildgraves (Latin: ''comites silvestres'') descended of a division of the House of the Counts of Nahegau in the year 1113. When the (a countship named after the river Nahe) split into two parts in 1113 ...

s and

Raugrave The Raugraves were a German noble family, which had its center of influence in the former Nahegau. They descended from the Emichones (Counts of Nahegau). History First family in the 12th until 15th centuries The family of the Raugraves (the ...

s, respectively. They were named after the geographic properties of their territories: Wildgrave (german: Wildgraf; la, comes sylvanus) after ("forest"), and Raugrave (german: Raugraf; la, comes hirsutus) after the rough (i.e. mountainous) terrain.

References

German noble families Noble families of the Holy Roman Empire {{Noble-stub