Surname Ölgeschläger - Meaning and Origin
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Ölgeschläger: What does the surname Ölgeschläger mean?
The surname Ölgeschläger is of Germanic origin. It is a combination of two words that either mean “barrel-maker” or “larger-bearer”. The first word, Öl, is derived from the Middle High German noun ol, meaning "barrel". The second word, Geschläger, is derived from the Middle High German noun Geschleg, meaning "main bearer". Thus, the literal translation of Ölgeschlæger is "barrel-maker" or "larger-bearer".
This surname is likely to have been given to individuals who were involved in the beer trade in Germany. barrel- and keg-makers and fillers, as well as “large-bearers”, kept the beer industry thriving. Large-bearers were a crucial part of the process in that they carried cold beer kegs from the brewers to customer's locations.
Due to the expansive German diaspora, Ölgeschläger is now found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United States, and other countries throughout the world. In today's world, Ölgeschläger is an uncommon German surname, usually found in rural areas of the German-speaking countries. From its origins, the surname likely reflected an individual's occupation, although nowadays it could be seen simply as an interesting, uncommon name, unique to the proud Ölgeschläger family.
Order DNA origin analysisÖlgeschläger: Where does the name Ölgeschläger come from?
The last name Ölgeschläger is quite rare today, but is still found in Germany. In 2019, the name was recorded approximately 259 times throughout the country, mostly concentrated in large German cities, such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich.
Internationally, the surname is also found in Austria, The Netherlands, Switzerland, the United States, and Canada, though with far less prevalence. In the US, for instance, the name is most often found concentrated in the states that were part of Germany before World War II, particularly Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Other regions of the world with a notable presence of the surname include Austria and Argentina.
In many cases, those with the surname are descended from families of German origin who left their homeland for a variety of reasons. During the mid to late 1900s, both peace and itinerant workers, as well as political refugees, left Germany and settled in other parts of Europe. This diaspora of Germanic families brought the surname with them, leading to its wider distribution today.
Those who still bear the surname today tend to be of direct and indirect German descent, with some members tracing their roots back to a century or more ago. As the name declines in usage in modern generations, it is most often associated with German communities, and those who still carry the last name are proud to pay tribute to the ancestral home of their family.
Variations of the surname Ölgeschläger
The surname Ölgeschläger is a Germanic surname of Dutch and German origin coming from the two separate words which have been combined together. The surname formed from the combination of the root word “Oel” which means “oil” combined with “Geschlage” meaning “to strike”. This surname was initially used to denote an oil dealer, mostly owners of oil mills and other people who were related to producing and selling these oils.
The genealogical web of this surname develops an immense listing which includes several spellings and variants of the same root word. The most commonly used variants of Ölgeschläger are Oelgeschlaeger, Oelgöschlager, Ölgöslager and Oelslaeger.
Surnames derived from the same root word of Ölgeschläger include Oelkers, Ölknecht, Oelslager, Ölschlaeger etc.
Oelgeschleger is the singular form among these surnames, and its plural form is Ölgeschläger, as seen in some family names. A notable family with this name is the Ölgeschläger family of Iowa, USA.
It is important to note that there is a difference in spelling between standard Dutch and American Dutch for this surname, with the American Dutch spelling being Oelgöschlager and the standard Dutch spelling being Ölgeschläger.
The descendants of this family are spread across the world and the spelling of their surnames has undergone several changes depending on the lineage and language of a particular genealogical branch.
Famous people with the name Ölgeschläger
- Jürgen Ölgeschläger: Founder of the German news outlet Focus
- Robert Ölgeschläger: An Austrian composer and artist
- Andreas Ölgeschläger: a German journalist who works primarily for Deutsche Welle
- Michael Ölgeschläger: a Brazilian doctor, journalist, and author
- Eva Ölgeschläger: a German politician and Member of the Bundestag
- Reinhold Ölgeschläger: a German professor of criminal law
- Ralf Ölgeschläger: a German lawyer and business consultant
- Tom Ölgeschläger: a Swiss entrepreneur in the field of renewable energy
- Paul-Gerhard Ölgeschläger: a German banker and economist
- Reinhold Ölgeschläger: a German film director and producer