Surname Dittmayer - Meaning and Origin
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Dittmayer: What does the surname Dittmayer mean?
The last name Dittmayer originates from German and is a habitational name, derived from any of numerous places named with the Middle High German element dit ‘dirt’, ‘mud’, or ditte ‘marsh’, plus the suffix -mair, originally meaning ‘steward’ but now used to indicate a ‘dweller’ at such a place. According to one theory, the name might also be a variant of the name Dittmar, a diminutive of Diet, which is a short form of Dietrich.
The surname first appeared in documents dating back to the mid 16th century, when Dittmayer, spelled as Dittemeyer, was recorded in 1553 in the tax roll of Freiburg, Germany. Records of the name have been found in many regions of Germany, Austria, and Poland. Additionally, this surname is found in American records, as many Dittmayer descendants migrated to America and Canada during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today, the surname Dittmayer is a common family name in many parts of Germany, Austria, and Poland. The name is spread across many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, England, Scotland, and the Netherlands. There are many different spellings of this surname; some of the most common ones include Dittmer, Dittmair, Dittmeir, and Dettmayer. Families who possess this surname often have strong German cultural roots, but may also have a variety of other cultural heritages.
Order DNA origin analysisDittmayer: Where does the name Dittmayer come from?
The surname Dittmayer is of German origin and is found in many countries today, though the highest concentration of the name is in Germany. In 2019, a map made with an online name frequency tool ranked it the 277th most common name in Germany. It is also found in the Netherlands, Serbia, and Slovakia.
To a lesser degree, the name is found in Austria, France, the United States, and countries with large German diasporas such as Brazil. In the United States, the surname occurs primarily in the Midwestern state of Wisconsin. It was the 3,199th most popular last name for men and women combined in the United States in 2000. That same year, just thirteen people were recorded with the surname in Wisconsin.
A Dittmayer Coat of Arms, featuring a black griffin's head crest on a gold shield, has been associated with families of the name. Thus it is likely the name is of noble origin. The name comes from the German Dittmeier which means “dust man” and is likely to have referred to someone working as fullers.
Variations of the surname Dittmayer
The surname Dittmayer is of Germanic origin. It is a locational name that derived from places beginning with the German dit, which means dike and mare/meer meaning lake or sea. Alternate spellings, variants and surnames of the same origin include Ditmayer, Ditmeyer, Dittmaier, Dittmair, Dittmeir, and Dittmeyer.
In some cases, it is also spelt as Dietmayer, Dietmeyer, Dietmaier, Dietmair, Dietmeir, Diettmaier, Diettmeyer, Diettmair, Diettmeir, Dettmayer, Dettmeyer, Dettmaier, Dettmair, and Dettmeir. Similarly, Tytmayer, Tytmeyer, Tytmaier and Tytmair are different spellings related to this surname.
The surname has evolved from an old Germanic naming element that was used to describe someone who worked at, lived on, or owned land near a lake or dikte. The places may have been on the coast, in marshes, or deep in the forest, or near great rivers.
In some cases, the Dittmayer surname was also given to believers of a line of Christianity that predates conventional Christianity, emphasizing on polytheism and Christian mysticism. It was also popular among certain ethnic groups in Europe and Northern Africa in medieval times.
Additionally, individuals with the surname Dittmayer may be descendants of people who had moved from one village to another in search of work. In such cases, the inhabitants of the new village would shorten the original family name to make it easier to pronounce.
Famous people with the name Dittmayer
- Emilia Dittmayer: A renowned handball player from Austria who has represented both the national team of her country and professional club sides.
- Hans Dittmayer: A Swiss entrepreneur and businessman who worked in the fields of marketing, communications and branding.
- Louis Dittmayer: An Austrian landscape painter best known for his genre paintings depicting everyday life in countryside villages.
- Josef Dittmayer: A German organ builder who had a long career in the construction and renovation of historic pipe organs.
- Edith Dittmayer: A German ski-jumper and former Olympic competitor representing the country at the 1952 Games in Oslo.
- Rudolf Dittmayer: A German-American lawyer, jurist and academic credited with pioneering legal work in international arbitration.
- Walter Dittmayer: An Austrian sculptor and artist, known best for his unique Neo-Expressionist portrait busts and statues.
- Richard Dittmayer: An Austrian-American Christian writer, Biblical scholar and theologian, most renowned for his contributions to ecumenism.
- Joseph Dittmayer: An Austrian violinist and composer who was highly esteemed in his lifetime for his chamber works and symphonies.
- John Dittmayer: An Austrian painter of Dutch ancestry, active in the late 18th century and known for his vividly coloured still lifes.