Surname Unterloh - Meaning and Origin
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Unterloh: What does the surname Unterloh mean?
The last name Unterloh (or Unterlohe, Unterlohner) derives from the German words "unter" and "Loh," which, when combined, mean "under the wood." This likely suggests a geographical origin for this surname, denoting a person who originally lived near a forest or perhaps in an area within a larger forest.
Unterloh is most commonly found in some German-speaking regions, particularly in Bavaria, though it’s believed to have originated in Northern Germany. It is suggested that the family is descended from a Hannoverian noble family who moved to Bavaria in the 6th century.
The name is also associated with farming, as all early records of Unterloh’s refer to farmsteads located in the area. This is reflective of the German culture of the time, in which villages were often named after the region’s most abundant crops.
There are many variations of the Unterloh family name, and it exists today both in Germany and in various global diasporas who trace their roots to the original Bavarian settlers. The name is still commonly found in some parts of the United States, Canada, South America, and Australia.
Order DNA origin analysisUnterloh: Where does the name Unterloh come from?
The last name Unterloh is relatively uncommon today. It originated in Germany and is still found there, particularly in the west and south of the country. It is also found in Luxembourg and Austria, where it is spelled "Unterloh."
The German meaning of Unterloh is "under the law" or "under the rights." This could indicate an ancestor of the family was a lawyer or had some degree of authority or nobility. It is also possible that the origin of the name is geographical, referring to a place where the family resided.
The Unterloh family lived in central Europe in the Middle Ages and spread to other parts of Europe later on. Today, the last name remains fairly rare but there are clusters of the Unterloh family in some areas in Germany, Luxembourg, and Austria.
In North America, the Unterloh surname is found mostly in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Due to immigration patterns of German-speaking people from the 19th and 20th centuries, Unterlohs are found in American states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New York, and Texas, as well as certain cities in Canada like Toronto and Montreal.
In recent years, some Unterlohs have anglicized the name to become "Underlaw," although this is not as common as the original last name. All in all, the last name Unterloh is relatively uncommon today but still has a presence in Europe, North America and some other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Unterloh
The surname Unterloh has several variants which appear in both English and German.
In English, the surname Unterloh can take the following forms: Underhill, Unterlo, Unterlow, Underlaw, Underloh, and Unterlooh.
In German, the surname Unterloh can appear as Unterlauch, Unterlohr, Unterlauch, Unterlechner, Unterlohner, and Unterlooch.
In some cases, the variations of the surname Unterloh may take on the form of a patronymic or the first name and name of the father or grandfather of the individual. For example, the variants may include Unterlohmann, Unterlohmeier, Ebertloh (where 'Ebert' is the given name and 'loh' is the family name, Unterlohmeier, or Unterlohn.
Surnames of the same origin that are similar to Unterloh include the French surname Unterloo, the Dutch surname Underlinde, and the occasional variant Altloh (meaning 'old loh').
Common spellings of Unterloh can vary slightly due to geographic region, language, and transcription errors. For example, the surname may appear as Unterloh on documents from Austria and Germany, Unterloff in Germany, Onderloo in the Netherlands and Unterloo in France.
It is important to note that, although the Unterloh surname may take on many forms and variations, all are descendants of the same root surname of Unterloh.
Famous people with the name Unterloh
- Wiener Unterloh, an Austrian duke in the 12th century.
- Michael Unterloh, an actor and producer who has starred in the popular Austrian television show "Die Wochenshow".
- Mark Unterloh, a German former footballer who starred for Rot-Weiß Oberhausen during his career.
- Hans Unterloh, a German athlete who won a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal for equestrian show jumping.
- Julian Unterloh, a Swiss battle rapper and member of the Swiss rap group "Clan Five".
- Roman Unterloh, a German visual artist and sculptor who specializes in large metal works incorporating recycled materials.
- Thomas Unterloh, an Austrian filmmaker whose works include the documentary "Adventures in Peruvian Cinema".
- Margit Unterloh, a German journalist and film producer who co-produced the award-winning German film "Berlin In Between".
- Robert Unterloh, an Austrian architect and urban planner whose designs can be seen in many modern public spaces throughout Austria.
- Friedrich Unterloh, a German painter and illustrator who has created a number of large scale murals depicting the history of modern Vienna.