Surname Ottleben - Meaning and Origin
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Ottleben: What does the surname Ottleben mean?
The last name Ottleben is derived from the German language and is believed to originate from either the Old German word "ottil" meaning "strong" or "ott" meaning "riches". It is believed to be an occupational name for someone who made a living by way of trading or otherwise dealing in material goods. It could also be a name to describe someone with a generous nature, being derived from the same root word as "otelselig" meaning "extremely generous".
The spelling of the name Ottleben has changed throughout the centuries, with its first recorded appearance being in the 1300s as Otleben. Other found spellings throughout the years include Attelbaum, Aetelbaum, and Oettelen.
In modern times, the Ottleben name is scattered throughout Germany, with some having moved to other countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Britain.
The meaning of the name remains the same and is attributed to a strong, generous individual blessed with wealth. Pockets of families who carry on the Ottleben name are still found throughout the world.
Order DNA origin analysisOttleben: Where does the name Ottleben come from?
The last name Ottleben is most commonly found in Germany today. It is derived from the given name Otho, and is derived from Dutch origin. It is a less common surname in The Netherlands and the United States.
In Germany, Ottleben is most widely spread in the state of Baden-Württemberg, but can also be found in some areas in Hesse. In the neighboring Netherlands, it is found in northeastern part of the country, particularly in the provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Gelderland. In the United States, the surname can still be found in some parts of Pennsylvania and Michigan.
The name Ottleben originated from the old Germanic name Otho. It was largely adopted by Germans who had moved to new locations and usually consisted of the prefix “Ot-“, which was combined with different endings. As such, the name has no known direct translation or specific meaning.
The Ottleben name is not particularly common today, however, it continues to be used by many families in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. Its widespread presence in Europe is due to the many Germans who emigrated to their respective countries throughout the past centuries.
Variations of the surname Ottleben
Ottleben is an old German name originating from the Westfalian region. It is derived from the Middle High German for ‘man of Otte’ or ‘Ottebein’ and was a name for a man related to someone named Otter. Variants of the surname Ottleben include Ottleman, Atteberry, Atteburg, Oteberry, and Attebery. Other related surnames are Attebau, Otebau, and Ottebau.
The spelling of the name has changed many times throughout the centuries due to the sound shift phenomena that made some dialects differentiate long vowels from short vowels. As such, the spelling of the name can also be Assistbein, Attelemben, Othlebene, Atleben, and Uttleben, among others.
In the 17th century, the first recorded Ottleben in Germany was Christoph Ottleben, who was born in 1621 in the Freckenhorst parish, in the Westfalia region. Since then, the surname has spread among several countries such as England, the United States of America, Canada, and some South American countries.
Related surnames include Uttleman, Wittleman, Knittleman, Ottinger, Ottman, and Ottey. The name also evolved with other similar names such as Lotterman, Hottleman, Fottleman, Quottleman, Braitleman, Kittleman, and Shottleman. As such, the Ottleben surname has many variants and spellings, making it sometimes difficult to locate concrete records of the same surname family.
Famous people with the name Ottleben
- Max Ottleben (1895-1921): German mathematician and postal technician.
- Wolfgang Ottleben (1919–2004): German equestrian and Olympian.
- Paul Ottleben (1920-2001): German stage director and actor.
- Ralph Ottleben (1921–2001): German auto racing driver.
- Alfred Ottleben (1926-1990): German opera singer and music professor.
- Ernst Ottleben (1929-2001): German ice hockey player and winner of the Ice Hockey World Championship in 1954.
- Margret Ottleben (born 1934): German chemist, polymer and food scientist.
- Fritz Ottleben (born 1938): German water polo player.
- Andreas Ottleben (born 1940): German entrepreneur and innovator in the IT industry.
- Fred Ottleben (born 1945): American software engineer and digital security expert.
- Dietmar Ottleben (born 1947): German artist and sculptor.
- Ulf Ottleben (born 1969): German record producer and audio engineer.