Walburg Family History

German: from an ancient Germanic female personal name composed of the elements wald ‘rule’ + burg ‘fortress’. Saint Walburga (died 779) was an English missionary who accompanied Saint Boniface on his mission to Germany and became abbess of Heidenheim.

Her cult became very popular in northern Germany in the early Middle Ages with consequent effects on the frequency of the personal name. Her bodily remains were later transferred to Eichstätt according to legend on 1 May, which thus came to be known as Walpurgisnacht.

This is also the date of an extremely ancient pagan fertility festival welcoming the return of summer and associated with witchcraft and revelry.