Surname Dethleff - Meaning and Origin
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Dethleff: What does the surname Dethleff mean?
The last name Dethleff is of German origin. It is derived from the German personal name "Diethlef", which is a combination of two Old German words - "diet" meaning "people" and "lef" meaning "hope". In the medieval era, this name was common amongst the German-speaking population in what is now Germany and parts of Central and Eastern Europe.
The name has also been associated with the Dethleffs family, a prominent German noble family of the 18th and 19th centuries from Holstein. The Dethleffs family was most likely descended from the Diethlef II, who had lived in the 900s. The medieval Family served as barons and ministers of state both in the Kingdom of Denmark and in the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein.
The surname Dethleff was used by a number of notable families in Germany in the Middle Ages. Since then, the name has spread across Europe, especially due to its popularity as an aristocratic name. It is also common amongst German-Americans, who adopted the name when they migrated to the United States in the 19th century and beyond.
Today, it is still used as a surname, and can be found in both the United States and Germany, although it is most common in the latter. It can be used as a given name as well, especially among German-American families.
Order DNA origin analysisDethleff: Where does the name Dethleff come from?
The last name Dethleff is most commonly seen in Germany today. Reports from the 1990 census indicate that roughly 15,000 individuals in Germany go by this name. The surname is among the top 400 most common surnames, and appears as one of the top 15 surnames in certain regions of Germany.
The Dethleff family is believed to have originated in Prussia in the mid-1700s, and then spread to other regions of Germany and nearby countries as the families moved in search of work or to be closer to family. The spelling of the name has changed over time to fit local dialects.
The name is also seen in countries today with German immigrants such as the US, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Switzerland and Russia.
In the US, the last name Dethleff is most common in the Midwest, especially in Pennsylvania and Ohio. In the 2010 census, the name was the 2,168th most common surname in the US; however, its rate of occurrence among German-Americans was much higher.
Today, the last name Dethleff continues to be carried by German-descended individuals in various parts of the world. It is still among the most common surnames in Germany and is common among American descendants of German immigrants. Dethleff remains a popular name and carries an interesting family history.
Variations of the surname Dethleff
The surname Dethleff is of Germanic origin and is derived from a Germanic given name which is a combination of two elements. The first element is 'theud' which means people or folk, and the second is 'laf' which means legacy, or heir. There are several variants of the name, as well as spellings and surnames of the same origin. Some of the variants include Dethlefs, Detlef, Detleff, Dethlef, Detloff, and Dötleff.
The German surname Dethlefsen is a patronymic form of the name Dethleff. This surname is borne by many people in northern Germany and is also seen in Denmark and parts of the Netherlands. Other variants of the surname include Dethlefs, Dethlefsen, Ditlef, Ditlefsen, Detlevsen, and Detlev.
The surname Detlefs is derived from the given name Detlef, which is in turn derived from the surname Dethleff. The name Detlef is found mainly in Pomerania, while the surname Detlefs is found mainly in the northern and central parts of Germany.
Other variants of the surname include Dethloff, Ditleff, Ditleffsen, Dittloff, Dottlef, Tethlefsen, Tötlefsen, and Tertelff.
The variants of the surname Detleff include: Detlof, Detloff, Dättlef, Dättleff, Dottlef, Döttleff and Tetlef. These various forms of the surname are used mainly in the areas of northern and central Germany.
The surnames related to the surnames Dethleff include Detlaff, Detloff, Detlof, and Detloffen which are found mainly in the Netherlands. The surname Ditleff and Dytlaff are also found mainly in the Netherlands and Germany. The surname Dottlaff is found mainly in northern Germany.
Overall, the surname Dethleff has several variants, spellings and related surnames. These variants are mainly located in northern and central Germany, as well as parts of the Netherlands and Denmark.
Famous people with the name Dethleff
- Camille Dethleffs, a German professional soccer player who has played as a midfielder for SV Werder Bremen and the Germany national team.
- Bartels Carl August Dethleffs, a German-born American businessman who immigrated to the US and was associated with the Dethleffs caravan manufacturer.
- Ernst Dethleffs, the founder and namesake of the caravan manufacturer.
- David Dethleffs, the son of Ernst Dethleffs, and the owner of the Dethleffs caravan manufacturing company from 1951 to 1997.
- Helmut Dethleffs, the current owner of the company who took over from his father, David, in 1997.
- Ida Dethleffs, a German-born American film actress, television personality and beauty pageant contestant.
- Leonard R. Dethleffs, a professor emeritus at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
- Marc Dethleffs, a German politician and member of the European Parliament from Germany.
- Margarethe Dethleffs, a German-American businesswoman and philanthropist who helped to establish the Dethleffs caravan manufacturing company.
- Rudolf Dethleffs, a German botanist and plant taxonomist who conducted extensive research in the field of botany.