Surname Riedler - Meaning and Origin

Riedler: What does the surname Riedler mean?

The last name Riedler is derived from the German word ‘Ried’ which is a term for a rush, reed bed, or marshy meadow and ‘ler’ which is a suffix used to indicate a person who lived or worked in the area. It’s a habitational name that refers to someone from one of several places in Germany called Ried or Riedel.

The earliest trace of this name was in 1201 when Recdilerus was recorded in Latin documents from Bavaria. It has also been documented as Rieter in 1288. It was used by an aristocratic family in Bavaria and Hungary before being adopted as a surname in different forms, including Riedler.

Riedler is an occupational or regional name, so was most likely taken on by people belonging to the same trade, most likely agricultural work.

Riedler can be found as two distinct families in Germany today. The first is found mainly in the North-East, concentrated in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. The second family is from Bavaria and Austria. The name is also found in countries that were home to German immigrants—United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.

The name Riedler is derived from an old German word that speaks of simple beginnings but still stands proud today. It is still associated with the traditional occupations of the region, such as farming or fishing, yet also speaks to the global diaspora of the family and how far it has traveled.

Riedler: Where does the name Riedler come from?

The last name Riedler is most commonly found in Austria, and historically has been associated with the Carinthia region. Outside of Austria, the Riedler name is also widespread in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy. It is also found in small concentrations in Switzerland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and the United States.

Austria has the highest density of this last name, which dates back to medieval times and is most likely German in origin. It can also be found in Czech-region villages near the border of Moravia. Riedlers in Austria can trace their roots back to a 12th-century knight named Ulrich Riedler.

In Germany, the name is mostly found in Bavaria as well as the surrounding areas that used to be part of the Holy Roman Empire. It is one of the most common names in the region, with over 30,000 people boasting the last name.

In the United States, the Riedler name is most commonly found in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Jersey, likely due to when German immigrants flocked to these states in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The name Riedler is also popular in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, though not to the same degree as Europe since many of their immigrants of German descent were already generations removed when they immigrated to these countries.

Variations of the surname Riedler

The surname Riedler is an old Germanic, Austrian, and Swiss name believed to derive from the Middle High German (MHG) words “ree” and “dler”, meaning “rider”. This name, which was shared by only 2,107 individuals according to the 2010 United States Census, is known among some English spellings as Rider, Rieder, or Readler. The German form of Riedler is typically spelled Riedl, Riedel, or Riedle, and is often pronounced "ree-dil" or “ree-dell”. In some dialects, the letter “e” is pronounced as a hard “a”, resulting in the pronunciation sounding more like “ree-dal” or “ree-dahl”.

In other languages the surname might appear as Riedyer, Riedhar, or Riedher in Dutch, Riedli or Ryedli in Swiss German, or Riedèl or Riedeler in Italian dialects. It might even appear as Riedloff, Riedlin, or Riedling in Eastern-Central German. In addition, many immigrants to the United States have adapted this surname to suit their new homeland - such as Riederle, Riedlery, Ryder, or Ryedler.

The spelling and pronunciation of the surname is quite variable and even within a single family the name may sound different from one generation to the next. As a result, there may be additional variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. In nearly all cases, however, the surname is rooted in the Middle High German word meaning “rider.”

Famous people with the name Riedler

• Amanda Riedler: Austrian model and actress.
• George Riedler: American politician and state senator from Rhode Island.
• Richard Riedler: Austrian chess grandmaster.
• Robert Riedler: American comedian and actor.
• George F. Riedler: American lawyer, politician and diplomat.
• Frieda Riedler: Austrian artist and painter.
• Dorothy Riedler: American abstract expressionist painter.
• Auguste Riedler: German meteoroligist.
• Sebastian Riedler: Austrian musician and DJ.
• Stephanie Riedler: Austrian fashion designer.
• Alfred Riedler: Austrian diplomat and painter.
• Mario Riedler: German physicist.
• Peter Riedler: German composer.
• Justin Riedler: Canadian musician.
• Max Riedler: Austrian Impressionist painter.
• Hal Riedler: American film director and film producer.
• Oli Riedler: Austrian professional skier.
• Carl Riedler: Austrian composer.
• Jürgen Riedler: Austrian politician and advocate for the education of people with disabilities.
• Tom Riedler: Austrian football player and manager.

Other surnames

RiedlRiedleRiedlechnerRiedleinRiedlin