Surname Oberdörster - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'O'
Oberdörster: What does the surname Oberdörster mean?
The last name Oberdörster is a German surname (as indicated by the presence of the umlaut in the spelling) and is derived from the German word for ‘over doors’. It originally indicated that an ancestor of the family was an archivist or caretaker of the entrance gate or door of a castle or estate.
Another possibility is that the name was derived from a type of pre-medieval house in the area which had two stories, one for the owners and one for servants or the like. The main story was known as the Oberdorf and thus the term was extended to describe someone living in this kind of house.
The name would have come into use in the late medieval period (1400s and onward) and could have been a signifier of employment within a noble household, indicating that the holder of the name was in charge of the entrance doors to the estate. The use of the term also suggests that the family was connected to the estate or castle, either through a familial tie or through their employment.
It is unknowable for certain which is the correct origin of the name, as no records of the period remain, but the most likely origin of the name is either relating to employment as an archivist or caretaker to the gate of a castle or estate, or from the type of two-storey house which existed in the area in the late medieval period.
Order DNA origin analysisOberdörster: Where does the name Oberdörster come from?
The last name Oberdörster is believed to have its origin in Germany. It likely first began appearing in records there in the late 1700s, and the families have since become quite widespread throughout the country.
Today, the last name Oberdörster is found predominantly in the northern parts of Germany, especially in the states of Saxony, Lower Saxony, and Thuringia. The earliest record of the name can be found in the Granzin parish of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where, in the 1800s, Christian Oberdörster was a farmer.
Oberdörster families have also been found in Austria, mostly in the eastern parts of the country, including the states of Vienna, Lower Austria, and Styria.
Those bearing the Oberdörster name can be found living in other parts of Europe, too, such as in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Belgium, as well as in Australia.
Outside of Europe, the Oberdörster name is seen in a handful of places, mainly in the US and Canada. There is even a small number of families living in Israel.
Altogether, Oberdörster families are quite spread out and highly diverse - in terms of nationality, religion, and location. Nevertheless, the last name still holds a strong and proud presence in Germany today.
Variations of the surname Oberdörster
The surname Oberdörster is an ancient name of German origin. It is most commonly spelled as Oberdorster, but there are a number of variants of the name that have been found throughout Germany and other parts of central Europe. The most common variations are Obertorster, Oerdörster, Obetdorster, and Obertoster.
The surname Oberdörster likely derives from the Old High German words 'oder' (edge) and 'torst' (thorn) because the name was likely derived from a person living close to a thornbush.
Over the centuries, the Oberdörster surname has been spelled in various ways as other dialects evolved. Other versions of the surname that have been recorded include Oerdorster, Oestdörster, Obertdorster, Oebertöerster, Ebertörster and Ehretorster.
In addition, there are a number of other surnames that are derived from the same root as Oberdörster, including Oberdörhof, Oberdörrbe, Oberdörrenbach, Oberdörrloh, Oberdöskam, Oberdösting, Oberdötzing, Oberöster and Oberösterle.
In conclusion, Oberdörster is an ancient German name found in many places and in many forms. Different versions of this surname have been used in various German dialects over the centuries, and there are a number of other surnames derived from the same root that are commonly seen in the German language.
Famous people with the name Oberdörster
- Günter Oberdörster: a German-American toxicologist and professor of Environment Health at Harvard University
- Alfred Oberdörster: a Hungarian-American pianist
- Andreas Oberdörster: a German philosopher and historian
- Johannes Oberdörster: a German theologian and professor of New Testament
- Wolfgang Oberdörster: a physicist and professor at Ivy League MIT
- Viktor Oberdörster: a German orthopedic surgeon
- Fritz Oberdörster: a German composer and professor at Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts
- Jakob Oberdörster: a German politician from Bavaria
- Ludwig Oberdörster: a German military officer
- Ernst Oberdörster: a painter from Bavaria