Surname Reuter - Meaning and Origin

iGENEA DNA Test: A Journey Through My Reuter Lineage and a Rediscovery of My Family Identity

Undergoing the iGENEA DNA test, I found myself on a journey of self-discovery, diving deep into the past, resonating with my roots, and redefining my identity. The story begins with my surname, Reuter, and ends up unearthing a rich tapestry of my family history, affirming old legends, and revealing new truths, thus reinforcing my connection with my past.

F. Reuter

Reuter: What does the surname Reuter mean?

Reuter is a surname of German origin. It is derived from the Middle High German term "riute, rüete," meaning cleared land. Therefore, the name Reuter was often given to people living in or near such an area. It also became a surname for families hailing from any of the many places called Reute or Reut throughout Germany. Thus, it can be classified as a topographic or habitational surname. It's important to note that there might be various interpretations and meanings attached to the surname in different regions and contexts. This surname is not only common in Germany but is also found in many other countries due to historical migration.

Reuter: Where does the name Reuter come from?

The last name Reuter is mainly a German surname, although there are a few variations such as Reutter and Roter. It is most common in Germany, where 4.34 in every 10,000 people carry the name according to a 2018 survey of surnames in Germany conducted by the University of Freiburg. Outside of Germany, the Reuter surname can be found mainly in Austria, and other German-speaking countries such as Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In the United States, it is most common in the states of North and South Dakota, which have a large percentage of German descendants. In the U.K., the Reuter surname is still quite rare, although it has been documented in London since 1881.

Interestingly, the Reuter name often appears in records associated with towns and places, Goldhagen argues that it is likely the name was formed as a nickname for people that lived near or by a place signified by the word reuter, disturbed in Low German which can translate to meadow-clearing.

Variations of the surname Reuter

The surname Reuter is of German origin and derived from the Middle High German ‘Riuter’. The modern spelling is ‘Rötter’.

Variants of this surname include Röter, Ruter, Röterle, Rueter, Rutterer, Rauter, Rutar, Ruterlick, Roeter, Rauterle, Roter, Rawgar, and Retter.

Alternatively, spelling variations of the name include Reutar, Reutter, Reotar, Reater, Reiter, Reatars, Reatir, and Reeter.

The surname can also be rendered in various forms in other languages, including French (Reutel, Reotel, Reutereau, Reutier) and Italian (Ruatori, Ruatore).

In some cases, the surname has been anglicized to Retter, Retar, Reater, Rawter, and Reator.

Furthermore, other surnames of similar origins, such as Roter, Reiterer, Rauter, Rottermann, Rutar, Rotari, Raturi, Ratner, Rehnert, Retterich, Rakich, Rucher, Rohrlich, Rittner, Retzmaier, Rahner, Rhutar, Roscher, and Ritzler, are related to Reuter.

Famous people with the name Reuter

• Julia Reuter: German actress
• Georg Christian Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Oehringen: German monarch, also known as Prince Franz Karl Reuter
• Thomas Reuter: German businessman, founder of Reuters
• Bilde Pfeiffer Reuter: German-born mayor of Wittgenstein
• Gabriele Reuter: German writer and feminist
• Max Reuter: German stage actor, active during the late 19th century
• Paul Reuter: German-British founder of Reuters news agency
• Ludwig Reuter: German World War I victor
• Eva Reuter: American television producer
• Alexander Reuter: German entrepreneur, active during the 1930s
• Eberhard Reuter: German entrepreneur, security executive
• Fritz Reuter: German poet
• Christian Reuter: German historian
• David Joshua Reuter: German-American film producer
• Elizabeth Reuter: German prima ballerina
• Klaus Reuter: German writer, best known for his short story collection "Der Löwe Spricht"

Other surnames

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