 In 1790, the form "Weißweiler" cropped up, which Dolch and Greule hold to be a wrongly interpreted High-Germanization.The placename ending "—weiler" is one that is quite widespread, and the prefix most likely comes from an early settler – possibly the village's founder – named "Winso".The originally self-administering village was known as "Bernswilre" in 1364.