Surname Umlauft - Meaning and Origin

Umlauft: What does the surname Umlauft mean?

The last name Umlauft is of German origin and likely has its roots in the word umlaufen which is a combination of two words, um - meaning "around" or "circular" and laufen, Which means "to run". It is believed that the original bearer of the name was likely from a family of runners, either in sports or in other senses of the word.

As a surname Umlauft is likely to indicate that the original bearer of the name lived in the region of northern Germany, near the Polish border, where the word "Umlauft" was common. It could also refer to someone who was a messenger or even traveled regularly between two locations.

The name Umlauft has evolved into numerous variant forms, such as Umlaufe, Umlaufer, Umlahe, Umlaut, and Umlof. It is also found spelled as Umloff and Umloup. It is also believed that variants of the name have been adopted in other countries within the German speaking world including Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

The surname Umlauft today is most famously associated with American cartoonist and Oscar nominated animator - Bill Umlauft. Bill's works have included Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Cinderella, and Lady and the Tramp.

So the surname Umlauft may have its roots in the past as a descriptor of those who ran or messengers, yet in modern day it has become symbol that has been adopted by those with a passion to create and an eye for beauty.

Umlauft: Where does the name Umlauft come from?

The last name Umlauft is of German origin, and is still common in Germany today. It also is found in neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland.

The name Umlauft likely originated in the late Middle Ages when people commonly used patronymic names, which are names derived from the father's name. In the case of the Umlauft surname, it came from a shortened form of the German personal name "Umwolt", which was given to children in honor of Saint Emeram.

Due to migration, Umlauft can now be found in many other parts of Europe as well as in the United States. After World War Two, many people of German descent emigrated to the United States from East and West Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and thus Umlauft was brought with them. In the US, the name Umlauft is most commonly found in the Midwest, particularly Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. However, Umlauft is also present in states such as New York, Texas, and California.

It is believed that due to the relative obscurity of the name, the surname Umlauft is not as common today as it once was. Nonetheless, it is still a significant part of many individuals’ family histories and is still well-known in its native Germany, and other parts of Europe.

Variations of the surname Umlauft

The surname Umlauft is a German family name of likely Slavic origin, with various different spellings and variants, including Umlauf, Umlaut, Umlaute, Umlauft, Umlauft’s, Umlaute’s, Umlofft, Umlov, Umloff and Umloffs. This surname is mostly used in southern Germany, particularly in Bavaria, and was likely derived from the German words "umlaufen," which means to surround, and "laufen," which means to run or move quickly.

The surname Umlauft has been found in numerous records in Europe, including marriage documents from 14th century Germany, medieval records in Hungary from the 15th century and birth records from461 16th century Bohemia.

The Umlauft family was well known for their resourcefulness and entrepreneurship. In the 1500s, they owned a number of businesses trading goods between Germany and other parts of Europe. They owned two distilleries in Bohemia, several ironworks in Folmava and a thread spinnery in Louny.

In addition to the various spellings and variations of the surname, there are other surnames associated with the Umlauft family, including Umlautz, Umland, Umlandt, Umloff, Umlofft, Umlohe, Umlauld, Umlohse, Umlahnen Umlahr and Umlahsen. These are all likely derived from the same German family name.

In the USA, the most common version of the surname is Umlauf, which is used by approximately 4,000 people of German descent. In Canada, the number of people bearing the name Umlauft is lower, with a population of just over 200.

Overall, the surname Umlauft is a distinct German family name of Slavic origin, with various variants, spellings and surnames associated with it.

Famous people with the name Umlauft

• Kenneth Umlauft: American athlete who specialized in the 400m hurdles event. He competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
• Brad Umlauft: Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played three seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
• Armin Umlauft: Austrian football defender who played domestically for Rapid Vienna and internationally for the Austria national football team.
• Carl Umlauft: German bobsledder who competed in the late 1970s. He won a bronze medal in the two-man event at the 1978 FIBT World Championships in Igman, Yugoslavia.
• Hans Umlauft: Austrian diplomat and politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria from 1945 to 1947.
• Fritz Umlauft: German Nazi party official and SS-Brigadeführer. He was also in involved in politics after World War II.
• Bernie Umlauft: Canadian curler, who won a globa bronze medal at the 2005 Worlds. He later finished fifth at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
• Mario Umlauft: Austrian alpine skier who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, USA.
• Gunter Umlauft: Austrian footballer who played as a defending midfielder or left-back. He appeared for clubs like Bayern Munich, 1860 Munich and Strum Graz.
• Kara Umlauft: American figure skater who won a gold medal at the 2015 US Junior Grand Prix in France.

Other surnames

UmlaufUmlauff