Surname Unteregge - Meaning and Origin

Unteregge: What does the surname Unteregge mean?

The last name Unteregge is a German surname derived from the word "untereggen” which means hillside. It is likely that its first bearers lived near a hill or in a hilly area. The Unteregge name is quite old and dates back several centuries.

Most likely, this name was brought to Germany by settlers from Scandinavia. This is because the Germans and Scandinavians share many linguistic and place-name similarities. For example, the German village of "Untergge" is thought to be related to the Old Scandinavian "Unter Egger", meaning "under the hill".

Unteregge literally translates to "under hill" and is very symbolic of the German landscape. Hilly areas, such as the Black Forest, have been long inhabited by humans and have been important for centuries. The Unteregge name therefore likely originated in an area of mountains or hills.

The name Unteregge has been passed down through generations and most likely still refers to the same geographic region. Today, there are many descendants of the original bearers of the name who are living in Germany and around the world. Some also carry the name in other forms, such as "Underhill".

Unteregge: Where does the name Unteregge come from?

The surname Unteregge is most commonly found in Germany, in particular in the western parts of the country. It is also present in some other parts of Europe, particularly in Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands. In the United States, the surname is relatively rare, however, there are some families with the name in Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota.

The surname is likely derived from Middle High German, deriving from the word "unter" meaning below, or under, combined with the word "egge" meaning edge. This indicates that the family initially lived near a hill, slope, or other geographical feature.

Unteregge is found most commonly in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In this state, it is the 1390th most common surname. In Germany overall, it is the 1772nd most popular surname.

The states with the most Unteregges is North Rhine-Westphalia, with 575, followed by Bavaria (241), Rhineland-Palatinate (205), and Baden-Württemberg (207). In the United States, the surname is present in Michigan (74), Iowa (22), Minnesota (7), California (2), Wisconsin (2), and one family in Oregon.

Overall, the surname is not overly common anywhere, but is still quite well represented in pockets throughout Europe and the United States.

Variations of the surname Unteregge

Unteregge is a German surname of uncertain origin. It is believed to have either come from "Untereck," a small village in Germany, or from "Unt", which means below, and "erge", meaning river.

The most common spellings of the surname are Unteregger, Untererggr, Untereggar, Unterregge, Unterrigge, Unterregger, Unterergge, Unterregge, and Unteragge.

Variants of the surname include Unterer, Unterr, Untererr, Unterrer, Unterregger, Oenteregge, and Oenteregger.

Surnames of similar origins include Unterbacher, Unterauer, Untersberger, and Unterthurner.

The Unter family, a German nobility, is also believed to be related. Unter means below and Unter families were usually associated with lands below a certain line.

Unteregge is also related to families with the surname "Unteregger" or "Unger" which is occupational in origin and used to refer to people who made steel tools.

For families descended from Unteregge, there are a variety of names associated with them now, from Oenteregger and Oenteregge to Unterergge, Unterregge, Unteragher, Unterauger, Unterbacher, and Untersberger.

The name has its earliest references as early as 1258 and is still found in Germany today. Unteregge is a reminder of Germanic history and bloodlines.

Famous people with the name Unteregge

• Markus Unteregge: Markus Unteregge is a German professional football player who currently plays for the 2. Bundesliga side FSV Zwickau.
• Hugo Unteregge: Hugo Unteregge is a German entrepreneur and the CEO of Uniplan ost, a structural engineering and consulting firm based in Berlin.
• Margit Unteregge: Margit Unteregge was a German artist and graphic designer who is best known for her abstract woodcut prints.
• Heinrich Unteregge: Heinrich Unteregge was a German landscape architect who is best known for his design of the Schlosspark Lühmannsdorf in Leipzig.
• Christen Unteregge: Christen Unteregge was a German lawyer and a local politician who served as the mayor of Guben, a city in the state of Brandenburg.
• Paul Unteregge: Paul Unteregge was a German painter who primarily painted landscapes and cityscapes. He is noted for his ability to capture the atmosphere and mood of a location in his landscapes.
• Emil Unteregge: Emil Unteregge was a German civil engineer who specialized in the construction of suspension bridges.
• Bruno Unteregge: Bruno Unteregge was a German politician who served as a member of the German Parliament and as Minister of Justice in the Weimar Republic.
• Carl Maria Unteregge: Carl Maria Unteregge was a German sculptor and graphic artist who created several monuments in Berlin.
• Karl Unteregge: Karl Unteregge was a German zoologist who studied the behavior and ecological adaptability of birds.

Other surnames

Unteregger