Surname Reiffen - Meaning and Origin
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Reiffen: What does the surname Reiffen mean?
The name Reiffen is thought to be of German origin and is likely derived from the name of a place, although its exact origin is uncertain.
One possible origin of the name comes from the German town of Reiffenberger, which is found in the state of North Rhine Westphalia. The name Reiffenberger most likely evolved from the German words for “village of Reif”. This suggests that the name Reiffen is derived from either a nickname for someone who was born in the town, or from a surname that was adopted by someone who had family ties to the village.
Another possible origin of the name Reiffen is from the German word for “ride” or “horseman”, reiffen. This suggests that the name Reiffen could have been given as a surname to a family of horsemen or riders.
The name Reiffen could also have derived from the German word reif, meaning “ripe”, suggesting that the name could have been originally given as a nickname to someone who was considered to be wise beyond their years.
Overall, the exact origin of the name Reiffen is uncertain and could be a combination of the above origins. However, it appears to have been used as a surname since at least the 17th century, and may have its roots in German culture.
Order DNA origin analysisReiffen: Where does the name Reiffen come from?
The surname Reiffen is most common in Germany, specifically in states such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Reiffen is the 34,858th most common surname in the world and is most likely derived from a middle German personal name 'Reiff'. It is estimated that over 27,000 people across Europe, particularly Germany, bear the surname today, with the majority of bearers being of German ethnic background.
The name is popular outside of its homeland in countries such as the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Sweden and the United States. In the United States, the last name is most common in states such as Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota, indicating an immigration of Reiffens from Germany to the United States in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
Although the majority of individuals with the last name still live in Germany, the prevalence of the Reiffen surname in other countries demonstrates the historical movement of individuals bearing the last name. This movement is also new individuals holding the name in various countries thanks to marriage, adoption and naturalisation.
Variations of the surname Reiffen
The surname Reiffen has a variety of spellings and variants that all originated from the same source. Those names include Reifen, Reifin, Reifman, Reifmann, Reifenberger, Reiffenberg, Reiffenburg, Reiffinger, Reifferscheid, Reifferstein, Reiffish, Rieffen, and Ryffin.
Reiffen is a German name derived from the Middle High German word “reif” which means “a hunter’s apparrel”. The surname Reiffen is an occupational name for someone who wore such apparel. It is believed that the surname originated in the Rhineland area near the German city of Cologne.
Variations of the name Reiffen have developed over time as the name has been passed down from one generation to the next. For example, the spelling of Reifen used to be Rieffen and the spelling of Reifferscheid used to be Reiffenstein. Additionally, some people may have modified the spelling of the name to be phonetically more appealing in different dialects.
The surname Reiffen has multiple branches in Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia, making it an international surname. With this in mind, there is a variety of spellings of the name associated with the different countries. Some of the most common variations of the name in these countries are Reifen, Rieffen, Reiffen, Reifin, Reifman, Reifmann, Reifenberger, Reiffenberg, Reiffenburg, Reiffinger, Reifferscheid, Reifferstein, Reiffish, and Ryffin.
Famous people with the name Reiffen
- Jeff Reiffen: British actor best known for his roles in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), and King Richard III (1995).
- Charlie Reiffen: English actor, best known for his roles in ITV's Dark Angel (2016) and film The Missing (2019).
- Robert Reiffen: American director, producer, and writer, best known for his work on Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), Hot Rod (2007), and Raising the Bar (2008).
- Hank Reiffen: American actor, best known for his roles in Clockstoppers (2002), Scary Movie 4 (2006), and Crossing Jordan (2001-2004).
- Eric Reiffen: American actor, best known for his roles in the television series Leslie's Unsung Story (1996-1998) and 4400 (2005).
- Tom Reiffen: American actor, best known for his roles in the television series Stalked by My Doctor: A Sleepwalker's Nightmare (2015) and GREYA (2018).
- Justin Reiffen: American actor, best known for his roles in the films Scary Movie 5 (2013) and The Hangover Part II (2011).
- Davin Reiffen: American musician and songwriter, best known for his songs “How Great Is Our God” and “You’ve Got a Friend.”
- Mark Reiffen: Canadian actor, best known for his roles in the television series Blue Mountain State (2010-2011) and MVP (2007).
- P.J. Reiffen: American actor, best known for his roles in the 2009 film Monsoon Wedding and the 2005 feature length film Catch That Kid.