Surname Röttger - Meaning and Origin
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Röttger: What does the surname Röttger mean?
The surname Röttger is a Germanic name that is derived from Middle High German. It is thought to refer to someone from the small town called “Röttingen” in the district of Bad Neustäd, Bavaria, Germany. This is important to note as the surname likely signifies someone's ancestral place of origin from this region.
The literal translation of Röttger is “someone from Röttingen” and over time it has become a surname that is quite common in Austria and Germany. Röttger is an old spelling of the town name, which in modern German would be written “Röttingen”. The name could also have originated from “Röttlein” which is an old German word for a meadow or clearing in a forest that is ideal for farming.
In the case of signed documents, this surname is generally spelled with two t’s, which is the traditional spelling. The spelling Roettger was sometimes used in the United States when immigrants anglicized their names upon arriving.
Today, the surname remains common in German-speaking countries, and those who bear this name are likely to have ancestral ties to the regions of Bavaria, Austria, and other former German principalities. Most descendants of this surname live in Germany and Austria, where it is one of the oldest surnames still in use.
Order DNA origin analysisRöttger: Where does the name Röttger come from?
The last name Röttger is most commonly found in southern Germany, specifically in Bavaria and the surrounding regions. This is due to the original spelling of the name being 'Rotger' which was mainly found in areas around the German-Dutch border as well as northern Germany. The Röttger spelling became more common in the southern German regions due to a process which is commonly referred to as 'second-degree sound shift.' This is when the 'r' and 'ö' get swapped, making it easier for the pronunciation of German words.
Families with the surname Röttger can also be found in the cities of Munich, Stuttgart, and Berlin, although the populations are sparse outside of Bavaria. Many families with the last name Röttger are also found in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa due to European settlement and migration.
Today, the population of people with the surname Röttger is estimated to be around 20,000 and the name is a common feature in German communities worldwide, particularly in the southern regions. Röttger is a traditional Bavarian German surname derived from the Middle High German word “rotgere”, which is a compound word that means “tomato gardener”.
Variations of the surname Röttger
The surname Röttger is derived from the German term for a person who is a wheelwright, someone who builds and repairs wheels for carts, wagons, and other wheeled vehicles. Variants and spellings of Röttger include Rotger, Rotgher, Rotgary, Rotiger, Rötger, Rötgher, Rötgry, Rötiager, Rötiger, Röttcher, Röttching, and Rotching.
Surnames of similar origin but different spelling include Rötger, Rautger, and Rautgher, which all derive from the Old High German term ratto, meaning wheel and ger, meaning maker. In some cases, the name Röttger may have even been changed to the related name Rother, Rattger, or Roter, which all have similar meanings.
The Dutch equivalent of Röttger is Roder, while the Austrian, Czech, and Polish spelling and pronunciation is Roder or Rodar. In northern Bavaria, the spelling and pronunciation of Röttger is Ruthger or Rutger.
In some cases, the surname Röttger may have been written as Rothger. In Lower Saxony, the name was historically spelled Röteg, and in some Swiss dialects, it was written as Rottgel or Rotigel.
In the United States, the surname is often translated into English as "Rudgers". Other alternative spellings of the surname Röttger found in America include Reddinger, Redinger, Wrede, Riedinger, and Rwetgher.
Famous people with the name Röttger
- Alexander Röttger: German professional footballer
- Armin Röttger: German techno DJ
- Claudia Röttger: Germaneen contemporary artist
- Christopher Röttger: German actor
- Darryl Röttger: German Paralympic swimmer
- Günther Röttger: German theirs goalkeeper coach
- Horst Röttger: German Olympic bobsledder
- Jens Röttger: German former track and field athlete
- Rudolf Röttger: German Olympic boxer
- Werner Röttger: German politician