Surname Detlev - Meaning and Origin
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Detlev: What does the surname Detlev mean?
The last name Detlev is a German patronymic surname derived from the male personal name Detlef or Dietlof. It appears to be an old name found mainly in the northern part of Germany.
The name Detlev is believed to have originated from the Old German words ‘diot’ meaning ‘people’ and ‘leib’ meaning ‘brave’ or ‘strength’. It could also have come from the early Middle High German element ‘diz’ meaning ‘people’ and ‘lief’, which means ‘peace’. Thus, the name Detlev is interpreted to mean ‘people’s strength’ or ‘people’s peace’.
The first bearer of the Detlev surname may have been the German nobleman Detlev von Hessen, who was mentioned in historical records of the mid-1400’s. He and his descendants likely adopted the last name to identify themselves and their ancestors.
Today, the surname Detlev is found mainly in Germany, although some people with this last name can be found in other parts of the world, including the United States, England, Denmark, Poland, and Netherlands.
In summary, the last name Detlev is a German patronymic surname which likely originated in the medieval period. It is believed to be a combination of the German terms ‘diot’ and ‘leib’ or ‘diz’ and ‘lief’, which when combined, mean ‘people’s strength’ or ‘people’s peace’. While the surname is still primarily found in Germany, there are some people with this name living in other countries throughout the world.
Order DNA origin analysisDetlev: Where does the name Detlev come from?
The last name Detlev is most commonly found in Germany today. According to the 1990 census in Germany, the last name Detlev was the 789th most common name, with an estimated 5,853 people bearing it.
The surname Detlev is derived from the Old German given name ‘Theodl’ or ‘Theodel’ which was a popular name between 10th and 11th centuries. It was initially given to people living in early Germanic regions, in the north and east of Germany, as well as in the Netherlands and Finland. The surname was used to distinguish a person's family lineage or clan, and over time it became a family name.
The original spelling of Detlev was 'Theodetel', and the name was usually written with the letters ‘The’, ‘Det’ and ‘Lev’. Within Germany, the last name Detlev is relatively concentrated within certain geographical areas, such as the Rhineland, Southwestern Germany, and Westphalia.
The degree of migration of the last name Detlev is quite low compared to other surnames. Although still fairly common in Germany, the surname is rare in other parts of the world. It is not a particularly popular surname in either the United States or the United Kingdom.
Variations of the surname Detlev
Detlev is an old Germanic name, derived from the Middle High German words ‘teut’ and ‘louf’, meaning people and love, respectively. It has existed since at least the Middle Ages, and is most common in northern Europe.
Variations of Detlev include Detlaff, Detleff, Detlef, Detloff, Detlov, Detlf, Dietloff, Dietlov, and Detlauf. Spellings for this name can include Dietlauf and Dittlauf.
Surnames of the same origin as Detlev include Deitlauf, Daloff, Dalloff, Detelauf, Detlaff, Detlef, Dettelev, Dittlauf, Dotlauf, and Detlet.
It has also been used to form the patronymic surnames of Dettloff, Detloff, Detlaff, Detlef, Detleff, Detlov, Dietloff, Dietlauf, Dietlov, and Detlauf.
This name can also be found in several forms of spelling combination, such as Ditlauf, Duetlauf, Deitlauf, Dorloff, and other variations.
The Scandinavian variant is “Detlev”, and the Dutch variation is “Deitlauf”. It is also found in western Germany as Duetlauf.
Several surname forms connected to Detlev can be found in eastern Europe, including in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. These include Detlauf, Daloff, Dalloff, Detelauf, Detloff, Dietlaff, Dietlauf, Dietlov, and Dietloff.
The spelling variations found in Austria are Detloff and Dietloff. Those in the Czech Republic include Detlov and Detlaff, while in Slovakia they are Dietlauf and Detlef. In Hungary, Detlev is often spelled as Detlauf.
Famous people with the name Detlev
- Detlev Bronk: A prominent American scientist and educator in the fields of physiology and biophysics.
- Detlev Klöckner: German businessman and executive.
- Detlev Mehlis: German lawyer and UN special investigator into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.
- Detlev von Liliencron: German poet and lyricist.
- Detlev Suckel: Lawyer, entrepreneur, and owner of the German mortgage banking firm SEB.
- Detlev Garrn: German entrepreneur, film producer, and businessman.
- Detlev Suhr: German businessman, founder of Siemens Mobility.
- Detlev Weis: German investor, entrepreneur, and businessman.
- Detlev Hallermann: German founder and CEO of the clothing retail company H&M.
- Detlev Blanke: German Media Manager and former chairman of the Allianz insurance group.