Surname Mehltreter - Meaning and Origin

Mehltreter: What does the surname Mehltreter mean?

The last name Mehltreter is derived from the German prefix "Mehl" meaning “flour” and the suffix “treter” which means someone who treads or treads upon. The name likely originated from a profession or job title, such as for someone who works with milling flour or making bread and cakes. The suffix “treter” can specifically refer to a “treader”, someone who would be used to press the heavier items such as grapes in a wine press.

The name is relatively rare in Germany today, and is thought to have come from the region of Austria. It is thought to have originated in the 13th and 14th centuries with agricultural laborers who were employed to work with grain and pressing grapes for winemaking.

The American version of this name, which is spelled by some as Meltekst, is likely an Americanization of the original surname, which underwent a transformation when German immigrants came to the United States in the 18th century. This version probably came about as a result of the difficulty in pronunciation or spelling of the original name.

Today, many descendants of those original German immigrants have kept the name, and it is still found in a few states in the US. However, in Germany, the name is still relatively rare.

Mehltreter: Where does the name Mehltreter come from?

The last name Mehltreter is found mostly in the German-speaking countries of Europe and North America. This surname is most commonly found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Alsace-Lorraine. In Germany the name is most frequently found in the state of Bavaria, followed by Baden-Wurttemberg. It is also found in small numbers in the Prussian provinces of Pommerania and Silesia. In Switzerland, the name is mainly found in the cantons of Bern and Graubunden.

In North America, the surname Mehltreter is mainly concentrated in Pennsylvania and New York with smaller numbers in other states. The original immigrants to this country were from Germany and Bavaria in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a smaller number of immigrants coming from Alsace-Lorraine.

The internet has made it possible to find individuals who share the last name Mehltreter all over the world. Today, small numbers of the name can be found in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa, although the majority of individuals with this surname still reside in Europe and North America.

Variations of the surname Mehltreter

The surname Mehltreter is derived from the German word “Mehl” which means flour. It was likely originally used as an occupational surname by someone who worked with flour, such as a miller. The spelling of Mehltreter is the most commonly seen version, but variants exist as well.

The most common variant of Mehltreter is Mestreuter. Spellings of the surname with the letter ‘s’ instead of ‘h’ aren’t uncommon, so some variations include Meisterter, Messterter, and Mesterter. Spelling variations usually occur due to different cultural approaches to spelling words as well as alternate ways of pronouncing the name. Other slight variations of the name include Melsterter, Milsterter, Mellsterter, and Melstreter.

Surnames related to Mehltreter are Mühlbauer, Mühlner, Mehlhaus, Mehlbrecher, Millhofer, and Muehlbeyer. These surnames all related to working with flour or mills in some capacity, either as a miller, miller's assistant, or miller's wife. Some of these surnames may have originated from people who worked at a mill, or bought grain from a mill.

The Mehltreter surname continues to be used today in many descendant's families, and is especially common in Germany.

Famous people with the name Mehltreter

• Robert Mehltretter: German journalist, radio producer and a correspondent for churches and NGOs.
• Max Mehltretter: Professor of Physics Emeritus at Purdue University.
• Dietrich Mehltretter: American sculptor, photographer, and artist who studied at the Art Students League in New York City.
• Heidi Mehltretter: American photographer and visual designer.
• Herbert Mehltretter: German- born American entomologist.
• David Mehltretter: Senior Art Director at an ad agency in Milwaukee.
• Peter Mehltretter: German zoologist and biologist.
• Dieter Mehltretter: German film producer and director.
• Ann Mehltretter: American poet and artist.
• Richard Mehltretter: American blues musician and guitarist.
• Christina Mehltretter: German writer and educator based in Berlin.

Other surnames

Mehltretter