The German and Dutch surname Witten is of Habitation origin, meaning the original bearer of the name was named after the place he was from. In this case the name is derived from the town of Witten in North-Rhine Westphalia in the western part of Germany close to the border with Holland. The surname Witten was first recorded in Westphalia in the 16th Century and is first recorded in The Netherlands in the 17th Century. When found in Holland the name may be of nickname origin for someone with white or blonde hair or an unusually pale complexion, from the Middle Dutch word  witte meaning “White.” Today there are approximately 2,700 people with the last name Witten living in The United States.