Surname Altemeyer - Meaning and Origin
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Altemeyer: What does the surname Altemeyer mean?
The last name Altemeyer is a Germanic surname of locational origin. It derives from a place such as Altemeier, which is located in Saxony Anhalt, Germany. It is a compound name, consisting of two elements that were linked together to form a single name: Alt, meaning ‘old’ and meier. The later component was used to describe a person who owned, managed or worked a large estate, such as a manor house. The surname is still found in various forms in Germany, including Altmeyer, Altemeier, Alte-Maier, and Altemeier.
In Germany, the Altemeyer surname is found particularly in Saxony Anhalt, where it is a local variant of the surname Altmeyer. As such, it is still very common in the towns and villages around the area. It is also found in other parts of Germany, where it has been carried by people who migrated from the old family seat in Saxony Anhalt.
The Altemeyer name has also spread to other countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United States. Many people who bear the Altemeyer name in these countries are descended from German immigrants who came to the new world in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.
The Altemeyer surname is a reminder of Germany’s rich cultural heritage. It provides a tangible link between the past and the present, and is a symbol of the long history of people with German roots in the new and old worlds.
Order DNA origin analysisAltemeyer: Where does the name Altemeyer come from?
The last name Altemeyer is most commonly found in Germany and other German-speaking countries today. It derived from the medieval personal name Altmeister, meaning “old master” or “old teacher”. Before the advent of family surnames, people would have identified each other by given names such as Altmeister. Today, Altemeyer is most common throughout the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia as well as in the neighbouring states of Lower Saxony and Hesse. It is also present in some northern and eastern parts of Germany, as well as in Austria and Switzerland.
Altemeyer is also scattered throughout the vast diaspora of German-speaking peoples that established themselves in other countries during the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in North and South America. This includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. There are also numerous individuals bearing the Altemeyer surname in some other countries such as the UK and Australia.
The frequency of the Altemeyer surname has been steadily declining in the last century. Many individuals bearing the name have been lost and merged with other families due to a variety of factors such as war, emigration, and the dissolution of the family unit in more modern times. Still, the Altemeyer name is thriving all over the world, representing a link to Germany's distant past and its people's ancestries.
Variations of the surname Altemeyer
The Altemeyer surname is a German variant of the name Altmeyer which is quite common throughout Europe. This surname is found mainly in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria, although other countries such as France and Belgium also have individuals with this surname.
The variants of Altemeyer include Altmeijer, Altmeyer, Altoemayer, Altaweyer, Oldemeier, and Oldemeyer. The spellings for this surname can vary from country to country and may use any combination of umlauts, as well as words beginning with ‘Al’, ‘Ol’ and a silent ‘e’.
Various surnames with the same origin can include: Aldemeyer, Auldonmeyer, Altomayer, Daltmeijer, Daalmeyer, Goldemeyer, Gottemeyer, Kalthmeyer, and Qualtmeijer. Some surnames may be derived more indirectly from the same origins, like Oldmann, Oldenberger and Allerman.
The origins of the Altemeyer surname are unknown, but it is believed to refer to someone with a higher rank. It is possible that it was a title referring to someone with a noble or prominent rank. The suffix “meyer” is typically associated with people of Germanic origin, and it is possible the prefix refers to a location or profession, although this is yet to be conclusively proven.
The Altemeyer surname is a distinctly German surname, and those with it are believed to be of German origin. It will often appear in records in various forms due to the region-specific features of the spelling.
Famous people with the name Altemeyer
- Bob Altemeyer: Bob Altemeyer is a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Manitoba. He is a well-known author and public speaker on topics such as social psychology, authoritarianism, and religion.
- Rebecca Altemeyer-Bartscher: Rebecca Altemeyer-Bartscher is a Canadian politician, currently serving with the Saskatchewan Party in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Regina Rochdale.
- Ryan Altemeyer: Ryan Altemeyer is a Canadian politician, currently serving as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Winnipeg riding of Wolseley. He previously served as an assistant to the minister of education and minister of sport and culture.
- Wilfrid Altemeyer: Wilfrid Altemeyer was a Canadian politician, currently serving as the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Manitoba riding of Interlake. After his retirement from politics, he was appointed as chair of the Manitoba Hydro board.
- Hermann Altemeyer: Hermann Altemeyer was a German industrialist and politician. He was a long-time chief executive of the REWE Group, a large German retail conglomerate. He was also a member of the Christian Democratic Union, Germany's major center-right political party.
- Andreas Altemeyer: Andreas Altemeyer is a German computer scientist and was the Spokesman of the German Federal Cartel Office from 2007 to 2020. During his tenure at the Cartel Office, he made a name for himself as an advocate for a modern, digital economy and competition.
- Dwight Altemeyer: Dwight Altemeyer is a Canadian politician, currently serving as the Minister of Agriculture for the province of Manitoba. He is a long-time member of the Manitoba Liberal Party, and previously served as the party's leader from 2000 to 2003.