Surname Delbrügger - Meaning and Origin

Delbrügger: What does the surname Delbrügger mean?

The last name Delbrügger is a German occupational surname, derived from the Middle High German word delbrugger, meaning a “public official who collected tithes or fines in a community”. It would have been used by those who worked as a public tithe collector in Germany in the Middle Ages.

By the early 19th Century, the surname Delbrügger had spread across Germany. The family name could be found in now-unified, Bavarian cities such as Munich and now-independent East and West German cities such as Berlin, Hanover and Dresden, as well as prevalent in other districts throughout the nation.

The current spelling of the surname is found most commonly in Germany, however, the spelling has varied over the centuries. It is possible to find individuals with the spelling Bruegger, Brugger, Breugger, Delbrugge, Delbrüggge, and Delbrüggen.

Delbrügger is still a quite common last name in Germany and the surrounding countries due to the prominence of the middle High German term. In 2005, more than 10,000 individuals in Germany had the last name Delbrügger.

The surname Delbrügger may often be encountered in Germany, as well as other Germanic speaking countries like Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, and even the United States, as German people have been migrating and emigrating throughout the centuries.

Delbrügger: Where does the name Delbrügger come from?

The last name Delbrügger is common today mostly in Germany, where it is recorded to have been around since the early nineteenth century. It is also found in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, where German speakers are known to reside. The last name has been recorded in other places throughout Europe, such as France, Switzerland, Denmark, and Austria.

It is also thought to be of German origin, and first appeared in records from the Rheinland area, where it is still common today. The name is most likely derived from 'debroch' or 'debrogen', which are old German terms meaning 'to cross a river'.

Today, the last name Delbrügger is still relatively common in Germany, but is fairly unknown in other parts of the world. It is thought to only have a few in the United States, and fewer still in other parts of the world.

Despite its low numbers, it is certainly not a rare name, as census records have shown that it is still present in Germany today. It is likely that many more people with the last name Delbrügger live in other European countries, but remain unrecorded due to limited census taking in these areas.

Variations of the surname Delbrügger

The surname Delbrügger is known to have several variants, spellings, and even other surnames of the same origin. These include but are not limited to:

Delbrugger, Del Brugger, Del Bruegger, Del Brüger, Delberger, Delburg, Delburgen, and Debrugger.

It is one of the many Germanic surnames that have their roots in the Old High German word “burg”, meaning fortress, stronghold, or walled town. It is likely that the surname referred to someone who came from or lived near a fortified area. Over time, the name has been altered and adapted to suit different language rules and customs.

As the name traveled through different cultures it also picked up other spelling variations, such as Delburg, Delburgh, Delbrewer, and Delberry. The spelling “Delbrügger” was adopted in Germany and is most commonly used there.

The surname is also known as a patronymic, i.e. a surname that is derived from a parent’s first or given name. In the case of Delbrügger, the surname was likely a patronymic derived from the given name “Brugga” or “Brücka”, which is the Germanic form of the Latin name “Bricius”.

In some cases, the surname has been anglicized to surnames such as Delbridege, Delbridge, Delbrick, and Delbrook. These surnames are still found mainly in English speaking countries. In addition, the surname is sometimes spelled as “Delbrogge” in some Swedish dialects.

Overall, the surname Delbrügger can be spelt in various ways, but is ultimately derived from the Old High German word “burg”, meaning stronghold or fortress. The name also has several other variants, spellings, and even other surnames of the same origin.

Famous people with the name Delbrügger

• Ewald Delbrügger (1894-1961), German Judo and Jujutsu National Coach
• Klaus Delbrügger (born 1938), German Bishop of Münster
• Amée Delbrügger (1808–81), French philanthropist
• Wilhelm Delbrügger (1930-2003), German Men's Choir Conductor
• Ludwig Delbrügger (1835-1899), Bavarian politician
• Jürgen Delbrügger (born 1948), German politician
• Karl Delbrügger (1878–1939), German locomotive builder
• Klaus-Werner Delbrügger (1927-2012), German activist
• Eberhard Delbrügger (born 1943), German businessman
• Fred Delbrügger (born 1929), German singer and composer

Other surnames

Delbrügge