Surname Detloff - Meaning and Origin

Detloff: What does the surname Detloff mean?

The last name Detloff is of German origin. The name is derived from the German personal Names Dietloff and Dietolf. The suffix -off is a diminutive form, suggesting a 'little Dietloff' or 'little Dietolf.' The personal names Dietloff and Dietolf come from the Germanic element 'diet', which translates to 'people' or 'tribe.' This implies that the name Detloff may have been originally given to someone who was considered part of a particular people or tribe.

The name Detloff likely originated in northern Germany, where the personal names Dietloff and Dietolf are common. Through emigration, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including the United States. It is most commonly seen in the Midwest region of the U.S., especially in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

The Detloff surname can also be of Swedish origin. In this case, its roots are most likely either from the personal name Dietulf or from the name Detloff, which was a Swedish nickname for anyone wearing a distinctive type of hat.

Regardless of its origin, the surname Detloff is thought to have originally denoted an individual who was part of a tribal or people group, and eventually came to simply be a family name shared by many members. Today, people who are descendants of the Detloffs are proud to bear the name and to know its fascinating origin.

Detloff: Where does the name Detloff come from?

The surname Detloff is quite common today, particularly in the United States, but can be found across the world. In the United States, the surname is primarily concentrated in states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. Within Michigan, the surname is mostly found within the counties of Delta and Alger.

The surname has over 3,800 individuals bearing it and is ranked 12,117th on the list of most common surnames in the US. Within Michigan, the surname is ranked 280th out of all the surnames in the state. In the southern part of the state, Delta county has an especially large concentration of Detloff individuals.

The Detloff name is of German origin and is believed to likely be derived from an ancient German personal name. Family history records have suggested that the Detloffs trace their descent from a 12th century German nobleman named Bertolt. Records in Germany document his time there and the years he spent in various countries, such as Austria, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland.

Today, the surname is still common in certain areas of Germany, though there are also many Detloff families around the world. In the US, particularly in the northern Midwest states, this name has remained relatively prominent, likely because of the large influx of German immigrants to the region in the 19th century.

Variations of the surname Detloff

The surname Detloff is an ancient German name. It is derived from a combination of two German words – the suffix “-dorf” meaning “small village” or “hamlet” combined with the prefix “Det/Diet,” meaning “people” or “tribes”.

The most common variants of the surname Detloff are Detloff, Detlof, and Detliffe. Detloff and Detlof are found mostly in Denmark, while Detliffe can be found mainly in England and Scotland. The variants Dittloff, Dotloff, and Datloff can also be seen in Germany. Additionally, due to alternate spellings and misreadings over time, one can find variants of “Detloff” such as Dedloff, Dedlauf, Didloff, Ditloff, Tettleoff, Thedloff, and Tudeluff.

The surnames of similar origin include Dietzel, Dietzler, Detsel, Detzler, Didloff, Detzel, Tittloff, and Tettloff. These surnames are found primarily in Germany, and are likely derivatives of the Detloff name.

In some cases alternatives of Detloff also exist. These include the Dutch surname Detlef and the Swedish surname Detlefs. Detlef is derived from the Old High German name “Thiotulf”, meaning “people” or “tribes”, while Detlefs is derived from the Old Swedish name “Didefrid”, also meaning “people” or “tribes”.

Overall, Detloff is a surname of German origin with many variants, spellings and surnames of similar origin stemming from it.

Famous people with the name Detloff

• John Detloff: an award-winning American documentary filmmaker and cinematographer.
• Corbin Detloff: an American artist who works in sculpting, painting, drawing, woodwork and found objects.
• Steve Detloff: an American classical guitarist and composer.
• Bob Detloff: an American former collegiate basketball player who won the NCAA Division I championship in 1978.
• Justin Detloff: an American visual artist and environmental sculpturer.
• Richard Detloff: an American landscape photographer.
• Camille Detloff: an American concert pianist, conductor, composer, and vocal coach.
• Mark Detloff: an American music producer, songwriter, and musician.
• Gabriel Detloff: an American sculptor, muralist, and street artist.
• Thomas Detloff: an American professional wrestler known by the ring name "The Beast" in the WWE.

Other surnames

Detlof