Surname Rudel - Meaning and Origin
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Rudel: What does the surname Rudel mean?
Rudel is a surname of German origin. It is said to have originated from the personal name Rodel which is derived from the Middle High German terms rot (meaning "fame") and hild (meaning "battle"). The Rodel name was most likely originally given to a person of noble birth or with a reputation of strength or power.
As an occupational name, Rudel may have referred to a craftsman who made rods or rods and pinions for clocks and other machinery of the day. It could have also been the name of an official in the civil service, someone who as a Rodelmann managed royal forests or woodlands, or it could have come from a very ancient military family name.
The Rudel surname is found mainly in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. It is not overly common, however, and those bearing the name today can trace their roots back to the noble families of Europe in the Middle Ages.
Order DNA origin analysisRudel: Where does the name Rudel come from?
The last name Rudel is most common in Germany today. According to the German surname index at Genealogy.net, a genealogy research website, Rudel is the 4,094th most popular German surname. As of 2013, there were over 6,000 people with the last name Rudel living in Germany.
The majority of the Rudels were found in Bavaria, with others living in Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Hesse, and across the rest of the country. Rudel is also a common surname in Austria, with around 1,600 people of that surname living there.
The origin of the Rudel name is not clear. It could be a variant of the name Raudel, which is derived from the Old German words for "red" and "wolf". Another possible origin is the Old High German word Rudo, which means "noble one".
Overall, Rudel is still a relatively common name in Germany and Austria today. Its rarity in other countries suggests it has remained an exclusively Germanic name since its origin several centuries ago.
Variations of the surname Rudel
The surname Rudel is a German, South Slavic, and Jewish (Ashkenazic) name more commonly seen spelled as Rudell, Ruttel, Rudl, and Ruttl. It is thought to have derived from Old Slovene and Czech words "roditel" and "rodl" meaning ‘parent’, though some suggest it is derived from the Old High German word "rambolt" meaning ‘raven’.
In some regions the surname may be spelled with an "e" instead of an "l" - Rudel, Rundle, and Rudell are all forms of the same name. Spelling variations of the name might also include Ruddel, Ruddl, Rudle, and Rudl.
Other spelling variations may include Rudell, Ruttle, Rudelle, Ruddle, and Riddle.
The surname may also be seen in various forms in other countries. These include the French Roudel, the Austrian Rudel and Rutel, the Dutch Rudels and Rudelsberg, and the Czech Rudlová, Rudlovy, and Rudluv.
The surname is sometimes used as a first name, like Anne-Lise Rudel, and is also used as a nickname by families without a surname.
In some countries, Rudel is also a patronymic name, meaning it is derived from the first name of a male ancestor, in this case, Rudel. Patronymic surnames in Germany tend to end in "-s" or "-sch," so the surname may appear as Rudels, Rudelsch, Ruddels, Ruddelse, and Ruddelsch.
Finally, Rudel is also the name of a former French aviator, Marcel Albert, who commanded a French unit of the Soviet Air Force in World War II, as well as a quarry in Germany.
Famous people with the name Rudel
- Hans-Ulrich Rudel: a renowned German World War II fighter pilot, held the highest combat record of any World War II pilot with 2,530 sorties.
- Balthasar Rudel von Rohr: a prominent German renaissance composer.
- Alfredo Rudel: a former Argentine journalist, news anchor, politician and author.
- Ludwig Rudel: a Yiddish historian, literary critic, philosopher, linguist and literary scholar.
- Ernst Rudel: a German aviator, who held the position of general aviation inspector with the Third Reich.
- David Rudel: an American attorney and actor.
- Evalyn Rudel: a renowned American landscape painter.
- Carl Rudel: a German aeronautical engineer and designer known for his work with the Zeppelin airships.
- Tamara Rudel: an Austrian born sound designer, director, editor, and musician.
- Leon Rudel: a prominent Russian metallurgist and mineralogist who was a professor at St Petersburg State University.