Wertheimer

Wertheimer is a surname of German origin. It is a toponymic name meaning “from Wertheim,” a town on the Main River in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name has been borne by German-speaking families as well as Ashkenazi Jewish communities and is found in Germany, France, North America, and other regions through migration.

Notable people with the surname include Max Wertheimer (1880–1943), a Czech-born psychologist who became a leading figure in Gestalt psychology. Wertheimer conducted influential work on perception and motion, including studies of perceptual phenomena such as the phi phenomenon, and helped establish a holistic approach to psychological processes that contrasted with element-based theories of his time.

In the business world, the Wertheimer name is associated with Chanel. Pierre Wertheimer and Paul Wertheimer, French businessmen, co-founded Chanel with Coco Chanel and were instrumental in shaping the company’s early structure, ownership, and management. The partnership helped establish Chanel as a major fashion and fragrance house, with the Wertheimers playing a long‑term role in its development.