Surname Ahlers - Meaning and Origin
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Ahlers: What does the surname Ahlers mean?
The surname Ahlers is derived from the German language, and is a habitational name derived from any of numerous places in the north and west Germany that are named Ahler. In some cases, this last name could also be a variation of Ahlen, which is a city in the North Rhine Westphalia region. Depending on the different spellings, the last name Ahlers could originate from Von Ahlen, meaning someone who was originally from Ahlen.
This surname is likely occupational in nature, as the root “AHL” is derived from an old German word which means “hewer” or “cutter”. This implies that those with the surname Ahlers would have been working in some kind of manual labor or metallurgy.
Ahlers is a popular last name in certain parts of Europe. In Germany, it is the 522nd most common, while in Switzerland it is the 587th most common. Across the globe, there are roughly 26,500 people who bear the Ahlers surname. Notable people with this same include the German politician, Karin Ahlers, the Belgian cyclist, Herman Ahlers, and the Dutch footballer, Janocc Ahlers.
Order DNA origin analysisAhlers: Where does the name Ahlers come from?
The last name Ahlers is most common in Germany and the Netherlands today, although there are also significant numbers of people with the surname in Switzerland, Austria, and the United States.
In Germany, Ahlers is the 206th most common surname, and is found most densely in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Lower Saxony. Ahlers is a German toponymic surname, meaning someone who originally lived near an alder tree. In the Netherlands, Ahlers is the 71st most common surname, and is concentrated around the province of Brabant and the cities of Rotterdam and Rotterdam-Zuid.
Ahlers has also made its way to the United States in several waves beginning in the 16th century. Variations of the surname, such as "Ahler," first appeared in Pennsylvania record. During the 19th century, the last name spread to other states, with the peak concentration in Wisconsin in the 1930 census.
Since the immigration of Ahlers families to the US, their descendants have spread across the country. Ahlers is not especially common in the US today, though people with the name can be found in all 50 states. It is, however, the 881st most common surname in the United States according to the 2000 census.
Variations of the surname Ahlers
Ahlers is a Germanic surname that originates from several places and is found in many places throughout Europe. The name is derived from the Middle High German ahle, which means 'corner, edge, border, boundary' and refers to someone who lived near a corner.
The spelling of Ahlers varies from region to region and over time. Some of the most common variants of the surname include Ahlier, Ahlert, being the most common, as well as Ahlueer, Ahlles, Aehlers, Aelers, Aehlues, Aillers, Auller, Aullers, Aullers, Ellers, Helers, Holler, Ihlers, Ohlers, Oeler, Ulers, and Zoller.
Many variations and variants of surnames associated with Ahlers have been found, such as Ahlemeier, Ahler, Ahlersmann, Ahlersmeier, Uhlich, Uhlters. The surnames of Auler, Ellermann, Kimmel, Koch, Kolden, and Lemke may all also be associated with Ahlers.
Ahlers is also the name of a river in the Netherlands, and it is also related to Germanic names such as Ahls, Ahlsmeier, and Ahlsmeyer, and even surnames outside of Germany such as Ahlberg, Ahlm, and Ahlquist, which are all surnames for different places around Europe.
Ahlers is a popular surname in many European countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, and France. It is also prevalent in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. It is a common name among German descendants living abroad.
Famous people with the name Ahlers
- Uwe Ahlers: a German politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
- Marianne Ahlers: a German actress who plays Ingrid on the popular Telenovela Frühling.
- Erik Ahlers: a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Christoph Ahlers: a German entrepreneur and CEO of the Metro Group, a German-based retail conglomerate.
- Ludwig Ahlers: a German former athlete who competed in the men's shot put at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
- Bernd Ahlers: an American businessman and co-founder of the video game publisher Activision.
- Heinz Ahlers: a German film director, screenwriter and actor.
- Erich Ahlers: a former German footballer who played as a defender, and later managed VfB Lübeck.
- Klaus Ahlers: a former German middle-distance runner who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
- Lothar Ahlers: a former German footballer who played as defender in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga for a number of clubs.