Surname Ottenwälder - Meaning and Origin
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Ottenwälder: What does the surname Ottenwälder mean?
The last name Ottenwälder is a German name, and is believed to have originated in the Boppard area of the Rhineland region of Germany. It is derived from the German phrase, Otte und Wälder, which literally translates to “Otte and the forest”.
Generally, Ottenwälder has been associated with the local forestry industry, as this is the most likely cultural or professional origin of the name. In the Middle Ages, local foresters were called “Otten”, and the term “Wälder” denoted their occupation as a professional forester in the local area. As a result, the Ottenwälder family likely arrived in the area to practice forestry or logging and eventually adopted the last name as a permanent surname.
The Ottenwälder's name has also taken on a legend of its own. According to the legend, the first Ottenwälder was a brave warrior who defended a local forest against two hostile armies. Empowered by courage and faith in God, the warrior defeated the two armies and remained alive, earning his admiration and respect. Being the first in his family to practice forestry, he was known as the “Otte of the forest”, making this a likely origin story of the Ottenwälder name.
This German last name is now very rare and has been spread all over the world as a result of migration since the Middle Ages. Whenever the Ottenwälder name is seen or heard, it is usually associated with its historic ties to the industry of forestry.
Order DNA origin analysisOttenwälder: Where does the name Ottenwälder come from?
The last name Ottenwälder is a German surname. It is most common today in the regions of Hesse, Saxony-Anhalt, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is believed to have originated from the region of Franconia, in particular around the town of Würzburg. It is also found in the United States, primarily in the states of Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Texas but is much less common.
The literal meaning of the surname is "otten" meaning "village" and "walder" meaning "wood". It is believed to have originated as a topographical surname, meaning someone who lived near or within a wood. Alternatively, it may have originally been a habitational surname, the name of a place where a person with the surname lived.
The first recorded mention of the surname Ottenwälder was by Johannes Ottenwalder in 1490, followed by Johannes Ottenwalder and his wife in 1532. The first recorded Ottenwälder emigration from Germany occurred in 1709 when Hans Ottenwalder and family arrived in Pennsylvania.
Today, the largest population of Ottenwälders is still found in Germany, indicating a long history of intermarriage among families and staying within the same region. However, the surname is also found in other countries, mainly due to emigration patterns of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Variations of the surname Ottenwälder
The surname Ottenwälder is believed to originate from central Germany. It is derived from the German language and it translates to "Otten's forest". It is also spelled as Ottenwölder, Ottenwaelder and Ottenwelder.
Variants of the surname include Otenwälder, Otenwaälder, Uttenwaelder, Uttenwelder, Utenwaälder, Wotenwälder, Wotenwelder, Wootenwälder, Wootenwelder, Wotenwaelder, Wootenwaelder and Wetenwaeler.
Ottenwälder is also a variant of Wolf, Wolfenbüttel, Wolfbikel, Wolfenböhler, Wolfenberger, Wolfenburger, Wolfenberger and Wölffenbüttel.
Utenwaelder is related to Uttenwelker, Utten Welker, Uttinger, Uteng, Utten and Uttenbächer.
Wetenwaeler is derived from Wettenwaeler, Wetten Waeler and Wettenberger.
Other surnames of the same origin include Oetenwälder, Oetenwelder, Oetenwaelder and Oetenwaälder.
As a habitational name, Ottenwälder is derived from the name of any of the various German settlements called Ottenwald. These settlements were derived from the German word wald, meaning "forest", and the personal name Otto. People with this surname were likely landowners or dwellers of the forest.
The surname Ottenwälder has spread throughout Europe, and its variants are still common today. It can be found especially in Austria, Germany, and the United States.
Famous people with the name Ottenwälder
- Margret Ottenwälder, German actress
- Werner Ottenwälder, German long-distance runner
- Tobias Ottenwälder, German former professional footballer
- Karl Otto Ottenwälder, German Experimentalist in Organic Chemistry
- Brigitte Ottenwälder, Japanese actress
- Hugo Ottenwälder, German botanist
- Werner Ottenwälder, German opera singer
- Andreas Ottenwälder, German mathematician
- Ernst Ottenwälder, German classical philologist
- Melanie Ottenwälder, German lawyer and judge