Surname Rieser - Meaning and Origin
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Rieser: What does the surname Rieser mean?
The surname Rieser is of German origin and it is derived from the German word "reise," which means "journey" or "travel.” It likely evolved as a nickname or occupational name for someone who was a traveler, a merchant, a pilgrim, or possibly a transporter of goods. It might have also referred to an immigrant, someone who moved from one place to another. The surname can particularly be traced back to Swabia, a southwestern region in Germany. As with many other surnames, different families with the name Rieser may not necessarily share a common heritage or ancestry. It is important to keep in mind that the surname's meaning can vary slightly over time and across regions.
Order DNA origin analysisRieser: Where does the name Rieser come from?
The last name Rieser is most commonly found in Austria, Germany, and the Alps region - including Austria, Liechtenstein, and parts of Switzerland, Slovenia, and Italy. In Austria it is one of the top 20 most frequent names. It is also particularly common in Slovenia, where it is the 25th most common last name.
In Germany, the name Rieser is less common, ranking about 550th in frequency. It is even rarer outside of German-speaking countries, but can be found occurring in small pockets in 3 other European countries, as well as in varying levels of immigration to the United States, Canada, and Australia.
In the US, the name Rieser is not as common, however it has a higher relative concentration in the states of Texas, California, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Additionally, the name Rieser can be found around the world, with smaller numbers in Canada and South Africa.
It is likely that this name is of Germanic origin, and may have originally derived from the diminutive form of the male given name “Rudiger”, meaning “famed warrior”.
Variations of the surname Rieser
The surname Rieser is derived from the German word 'Riser', which in old German meant 'ruler' or 'king'. It is a patronymic surname, meaning that it was originally derived from someone's father or ancestor's first name.
Variants of the surname Rieser include Riezer, Riser, Risser, Reeser, Rezzer, Riezer, Reiser, Reizner, Rinzer, Riesser, Reeser, Riseer, Reiseer and Riiser.
In some cases, foreign spellings of Rieser have been adopted, such as the Dutch spelling Rijser, the Belgian spelling Rijzer, the Polish spelling Ryzer, the Russian spelling Reezer, the Italian spelling Rezzero, and the Spanish spelling Reiser. Many of these foreign variants of the name have been preserved in records as families of Rieser emigrated to different corners of the world.
In addition to these variants, there are surnames that share a similar origin or derivation from the name Rieser. The most prominent of these are Rhyzer, Richard, Richardt and Ridder.
These variants and similar surnames can be found in a variety of countries throughout the world, from the United States to Australia and Canada. Many of these variants are various forms of the original German name that have been passed down through generations of families, showing their lasting popularity.
Famous people with the name Rieser
- Peter Rieser: German freestyle skier, multiple world champion and Olympic medalist
- Karl Rieser: architect, urban planner, and professor at Rice University
- Joanna Rieser: Swiss choreographer active in the 1910s and 1920s
- August Rieser: German architect who designed several buildings during the 19th century
- Mario Rieser: Austrian film director, actor, and screenwriter
- Johann Baptist Rieser: Austrian painter and illustrator
- Ulrike Rieser: Austrian singer-songwriter
- Arnold Rieser: president of the Austrian surfing association, Austrian surfing champion
- Franz Rieser: Austrian politician and former mayor of Vienna
- Johann Rieser: former ice hockey player, Olympic gold medalist, and coach of the German national ice hockey team