Surname Oelschläger - Meaning and Origin

Oelschläger: What does the surname Oelschläger mean?

The last name Oelschläger is a German patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Oel, which means "oil" in English. Historically, the surname was derived from the Middle High German term oerseleger, meaning "someone who worked with oil or derivatives of oil". In this case, the name likely originated from an occupation that involved the production or refining of oil.

The earliest known recorded instance of Oelschläger is found in 1391 in a simple document from Hamburg. The document referred to a man named Henry OSSchledegere paying tax or adding his name to a list. From then on, the surname has been widely documented throughout the centuries, especially in the Bergisches Land about 50km east of Cologne.

In modern times, Oelschläger is a relatively common last name in Germany and Austria, and also comes in a variety of spellings, such as Oelschlager, Oelschlegel, Oelschlaeger, Oeschlaeger, and Oeschlager. In some regions, the last name can also be found with a combination of other words.

Overall, Oelschläger is a very old German last name that is known for its origin in an occupation associated with oil or derivatives of oil. It is a relatively common last name among German and Austrian nationals, and is also known by a range of slightly different spellings.

Oelschläger: Where does the name Oelschläger come from?

The last name Oelschläger is most common in Germany today, specifically in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. The name is also found in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Austria.

The surname Oelschläger is derived from the old German word “oeleschlager”, which meant something like “oil merchant” or “oil seller”. This suggests that the family likely had origins as early merchants, selling oil-derived products like grease or lamp oil.

The name is still quite common in Germany today, with over 8,700 people in the country bearing the name. Within Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony contain the highest concentration of people with the surname. Within these two states, Rhineland-Palatinate has especially high numbers of Oelschlägers.

Outside of Germany, the surname is still relatively common in Austria and Luxembourg, where it can also be found in relatively high concentration. There is also a small population of Oelschlägers in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.

Variations of the surname Oelschläger

The surname Oelschläger is a German surname, which is an occupational name derived from the translation of the words "Ölschläger", meaning “oil pourer”. This name was given to Nordic and German farmers and merchants who were involved in the business of selling oils and fats.

The variants of the surname Oelschläger include Oelschlegel, Olschlegel, Olschlager, Olschlaeger, Olschleger, Olzschlaeger, Olschlauger, Oelschlaeger, Oelschlager and Oelschlege.

The Oelschläger surname, adopted in about the mid-1400s, can be found in many countries; however it is most popular in Germany, parts of Luxembourg and in the Netherlands. In America, the Oelschläger surname is quite uncommon and is most likely found in the states of Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania and New York.

The spellings of the name vary widely. The surname itself can be spelled as Oelschlager, Oleschlager, Oelschlaeger, Olzschlaeger and Olschlager, while the given names often take on more ornamental versions of these spellings.

The surnames mentioned above can also be found in varied forms with additional prefixes, including "von", "de", "van" and "der". Some well-known variations of the Oelschläger surname include Van Oelschlaeger, de Oelschlaeger, Der Oelschlaeger, van Oelschlager and von Oeleschlager, among many others.

Famous people with the name Oelschläger

• Elke Oelschläger: German theatre and film actress.
• Andreas Oelschläger: American composer and professor of music.
• Paul Oelschläger: German doctor and agriculturist.
• Sabine Oelschläger: German athlete, competed in the 1998 Olympic games.
• Gerd Oelschläger: German wrestler who competed in the 2000 Olympic games.
• Wilma Oelschläger: German swimmer, competed in the 1992 Olympic games.
• Irmhild Oelschläger: German composer, pianist, and former professor of music.
• Bernd Oelschläger: German painter and graphic designer.
• Rainer Oelschläger: German photographer and university professor.
• Jürgen Oelschläger: German geophysicist and professor at the University of Kiel.
• Gustav Oelschläger: Venerable German priest, beatified as a martyr.
• Fritz Oelschläger: German exclusive sports photographer.
• Robert Oelschläger: German architect and town council member.
• Thomas Oelschläger: German lawyer and former Member of the German Parliament.
• Günter Oelschläger: German-born American physician and art collector.
• Ute Oelschläger: German violin soloist and professor at Munich’s Max-Planck-Institute.
• Gert Oelschläger: German former footballer, played for TuS Schutterwald.

Other surnames

OelschlagelOelschlägel