Surname Ottemöller - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'O'
Ottemöller: What does the surname Ottemöller mean?
The last name Ottemöller is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word "oete", meaning "an older male ancestor". This indicates that the Ottemöller family is likely of Germanic origin, having descended from a single, ancestral line.
The Ottemöller name is still fairly common in Germany today and can be traced back to at least the 1500s. It was most likely given to individuals who lived in or around the town of Rethem, located in present-day Lower Saxony in Germany.
The Ottemöller family was likely farmers or agricultural workers who would have been relatively well-off considering their surname's antiquity. The surname may even have been borne by individuals of a higher station in society either because of hard work or the inheritance of land and other property through marriage.
In modern times, there are Ottemöllers scattered throughout Germany and abroad. Despite being one of the oldest surnames in Germany, the Ottemöller family remains as a strong and central part of the ancestral heritage of the German people.
Order DNA origin analysisOttemöller: Where does the name Ottemöller come from?
The last name Ottemöller is most commonly found in Germany, with a sizable population in Denmark as well. It is also found in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States.
The origin of the name comes from a Germanic personal name, which means ‘son of Ota’. Ota itself is a short form of names that begin with ‘Otto’, derived from the Old High German audo, which means ‘wealth, fortune’.
The Ottemöller surname has spread across many of the Germanic countries, likely because those countries were once part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the Empire, members of the Ottemöller surnames could travel more freely throughout Europe, resulting in the surname becoming more widespread.
The Ottemöller surname is still common today in Germany. Nearly 7,000 people in the country have the Ottemöller last name. A good portion of these individuals live in the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, and Bavaria.
In Denmark, the Ottemöller last name is also common, with about one hundred and fifty individuals having the surname. The majority of them live in Aarhus, Copenhagen, and Viborg. Other locations in Denmark where individuals with the Ottemöller name reside include Odense, Kolding, Roskilde, and Haderslev.
In the United States, there are fewer individuals who have the Ottemöller surname, but it is still identified in the population. Over a hundred people in the United States have the surname, and they are spread out across several states. The largest concentrations of people are in Oregon, California, Wisconsin, South Carolina, New Jersey, and New York.
Despite its limited spread outside of the Germanic nations, the Ottemöller surname is still common today. The surname has been present across Europe for centuries and is likely to remain present for many more to come.
Variations of the surname Ottemöller
Variants and spellings of the same origin for the surname Ottemöller include Ottemöler, Otemöller, Ottermöller, Ottermöler, Ottemöllar, Otemöllar, Ottermöllar, and Otermöllar. All of these variations are based on the root name Otemöller, which provides a clue as to its origin.
The root name Otemöller is believed to be derived from either a place name, in which case it comes from Otemühle, or a profession, in which case it is derived from Otemühlenmaker which meant miller.
In Germany and the German diaspora, Ottemöller is the most common spelling. The name also appears in Scandinavia, particularly in Denmark, where Ottermöller is popular.
In other prominent immigration countries, there are also popular versions of the surname. For example, the Dutch form Ottermöller is common in the Netherlands, while Ottermöllar is popular in Spain.
ottemöller can also be anglicised. For example, it can be written as Otermoller, Ottermoller, Ottomoller, and Ottomoller. There are other variants of the surname as well, such as Ottomoller, Ottermoller, and Otermoller.
In other countries, the name can be found written as Ottemöller or Ottermöler, and the spelling can vary depending on the country or language in which the surname is found. For example, the name is spelt Otermüller in Austria and Ottermöller in Sweden.
Although most variants of the surname share the same range of origins and spellings, some isolated versions exist. For example, Otromueller is a rare variant of the name, which was used in France.
Overall, Ottemöller is a widely used surname based on either a profession or a place name, and it has many variations in spellings and surnames throughout the world.
Famous people with the name Ottemöller
- Bjørn Ottemöller: Norwegian politician and member of the Progress Party.
- Christian Ottemöller: Norwegian rower who won a bronze medal at the 1908 Olympic Games.
- Jens Ottemöller: Norwegian statistician, professor and politician.
- Conrad Ottemöller: German Lutheran theologian and philosopher in the Neo-Lutheran tradition.
- Johanna Ottemöller: Swedish opera singer and costume designer.
- Christian Ottemöller Jr.: Norwegian composer, musician and conductor.
- Lauritz Christian Ottemöller: Norwegian sailor who competed in the 1908 Olympic Games.
- Theodor Ottemöller: German classical philologist and professor at the University of Greifswald.
- Oskar Ottemöller: Norwegian literary scholar and professor at the University of Oslo.
- Rolf Ottemöller: Swedish politician, former Member of Parliament.