Surname Dettmeier - Meaning and Origin
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Dettmeier: What does the surname Dettmeier mean?
The last name Dettmeier is of German origin, and is thought to come from the Middle High German dette, meaning “debt”. It is a locational name, indicating that its original bearers hailed from a place where people paid taxes or where debt was recorded. It may also have been an occupational name for someone who dealt in debt and credit.
The name Dettmeier can be found in many areas throughout Germany, most notably the Rhineland, Schwaben, the Netherlands, and Austria. It is also found in Swedish parish records with the spelling Detmeijer. It is believed that the original bearers of the name Dettmeier were primarily of the peasant or lower-class background, which can be seen in records showing the name occurring as recently as the 17th century.
The spelling variations of Dettmeier are numerous, and include Dettmeijer, Dettmeier, Detmeijer, Detmayer, Dettmaier, Detmajer, Dettmeijers, and many others. It can also be found in records anglicized to Dettmer and Detmer.
Today the Dettmeier name is often associated with the Quebec French area of Canada, where it was taken by German immigrants who moved there in the mid-to-late 1700s. It remains a popular last name today, with over 1,500 people bearing the surname residing in the United States.
Order DNA origin analysisDettmeier: Where does the name Dettmeier come from?
The last name Dettmeier is most commonly found in Germany and other parts of Europe. In Germany, it is particularly common in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with the highest concentration in the major cities of Dortmund and Cologne. It is also scattered quite widely throughout the northern and western regions of the country. In neighbouring countries, the name is also present, with large numbers appearing in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
In recent decades, the last name has also spread to the United States and other countries around the world, thanks largely to German emigration. Large numbers of immigrants bearing the name can be found throughout the USA, particularly in the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, and California. It is also present in other parts of the world, such as Australia, Canada, and Brazil, with the majority of these being more recent immigrants.
Overall, the name Dettmeier is not particularly common, but its presence is found throughout Europe, the US, and the world beyond. In Germany in particular, it is certainly not rare, as one out of every three thousand people bears the name. It is likely, however, that most of its descendants trace their roots back to the same few ancestors from centuries ago.
Variations of the surname Dettmeier
The surname Dettmeier is a combination of two German words of the same origin, 'dett' and 'meier.' The name is derived from an element of the German language which is used to describe someone who tended to a farm, while 'meier' is an occupational surname meaning to manage, or steward, or take care of.
The most common variant of Dettmeier is “Dettmeijer”, but other variants include Detmajer, Detmeijer, Detmayer, Detmijer, Detmeyer, and Detmyer.
The earliest instances of the surname Dettmeier were found in pre-medieval and medieval Germany, where a villa known as Dettmeierhofen was owned by the Deitmeiers in the area. This is one of the earliest documented instances of the use of the Dettmeier name.
The German phonetics of Dettmeier can lead to several variants being used including Dettmer, Dettmering, Detter, Dettering, and Dummering. Additionally, one of the oldest variants of the name is Detmar, which was derived from a Latin version found in a will dating back to 1220.
The common alternate spellings and surnames of/for Dettmeier are:
1. Detmer
2. Detmyer
3. Detmijer
4. Detmayer
5. Detmeijer
6. Detmajer
7. Dettering
8. Dettmering
9. Detter
10. Deitmeier
11. Dietmer
12. Detmar
13. Dittmeyer
14. Dittmering
15. Dittmar
16. Dummering
Famous people with the name Dettmeier
- Christoph Dettmeier: He is a German politician and was formerly the Chairman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group.
- Jens Dettmeier: He is a German former footballer who played as a goalkeeper and enjoyed a lengthy career in the 1. Bundesliga.
- Johann Dettmeier: He was a 15th century German theologian and philosopher who composed the Hetzbuch des Teufels, which is thought to be one of the first works of German literature related to Satan.
- Andreas Dettmeier: He is a former German swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist in the 200m freestyle event.
- Heide Dettmeier: She is a German sculptor and was awarded the 2009 Goslar Prize for Sculpture.
- Oliver Dettmeier: He is a German documentary filmmaker and co-founder of the production company Transponder.
- Hermann Dettmeier: He was a German auricular specialist who developed the cochlear implant device.
- Erich Dettmeier: He was a German publicist and writer who served as the chairman of the German Language Society from 1950 to 1961.
- Carl Dettmeier: He was an American Germanist and professor at the University of Illinois from 1913 to 1951.
- Monika Dettmeier: She is a German journalist and author who works as a political editor for the Hamburg newspaper Die Welt.