Surname Oltmann - Meaning and Origin

Oltmann: What does the surname Oltmann mean?

The last name Oltmann (also spelled Oltman) is a German surname of patronymic origin, meaning the "son of Olt". This is derived from a short form of Germanic personal names beginning with the element "wald", which means "chief" or “ruler" – likely referring to the original bearer’s stature or power within his community.

The Oltmann family is thought to have originated from an area bordering modern-day Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, known as the Upper Rhine Valley. During the medieval times through to around 1650, this area was also known as the Rhenish Palatinate, a prominent duchy of the Holy Roman Empire.

Due to religious and political unrest, members of the Oltmann family began to migrate within Europe. Some eventually relocated to places such as the Netherlands, England, and on to America by the 18th century – and have since travelled around the world.

Today, the Oltmann name is still found in many parts of Europe, but also in other countries, such as the United States and Canada. Depending on the country of origin, the surname can be found spelled in various ways, such as Olten, Oltene, and Oudmann, among others.

Oltmann: Where does the name Oltmann come from?

The last name Oltmann is most common in Germany today, as is demonstrated by a quick search on Ancestry.com. In the U.S., the last name is more sparsely distributed, but does appear in 39 out of 50 states, with the highest concentrations in Wisconsin, California and Minnesota. In Germany, the prevalence of the surname is much higher, as is demonstrated by the 2019 e-book "German Surnames." According to this publication, there were approximately 9,000 people in Germany with this last name as of 2019—which equates to a density of 1 Oltmann out of every 22,333 people.

German cities like Köln (Cologne), München (Munich) and Berlin are home to the most people with the surname. The highest numbers are found in the city of Dresden, a city located in the eastern part of Germany. According to a search on Namen-Atlas.de, 54 people in Dresden had the surname Oltmann as of 2018. Other cities in the eastern part of Germany, including Magdeburg, Leipzig, and Chemnitz, also show relatively high numbers of surname holders.

Other than Germany, the surname Oltmann is also common in Austria and in the Netherlands. It is less common in other European countries, or in other parts of the world, like the United States or Australia. But in those places where the surname does appear, a search of census records reveals that many of the individuals with the name are, in fact, recent immigrants from Germany, Austria or the Netherlands.

Variations of the surname Oltmann

The surname Oltmann is a German-language surname that is derived from the Old High German word "alt," meaning old. The name can be trace back to the Middle Ages and is still quite common in Germany today. Variants of the surname include Oltman, Oltmannn, Oltmanns, Oltmannsen, Oltmannsdorff, Oltmannskirchen, and Oltmannsmeyer.

The spelling of the name can vary depending on the region it is found in. In Germany and other German-speaking countries like Austria and Switzerland, the spelling takes the form of Oltmann or Olmmann. In the United States, the surname is often spelled as Oltman or Oldman. The spelling of the name can also vary depending on the family line it is found in.

Surnames which have the same origin as Oltmann include Olman, Ulm, Uhlmann, Ullman, Ullmann, Ullmen, Uhlmann, and Oehlmann. The spelling of these surnames also varies by region and family origin.

The Oltmann surname is also found all around the world. Countries where it can be found include the United States, Canada, Australia, England, Germany, France, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. In some countries, the surname has been modified to its local spelling.

In France, the name has been adapted to Beaumont, and in the Netherlands it has been adapted to Oudman.

Overall, the surname Oltmann has many variants and spellings that are both similar and different from the main name. Depending on the region and family line, the spelling can often change, leading to the many variations of the same original Oltmann surname.

Famous people with the name Oltmann

• Kevin Oltmann: Soccer coach and former professional footballer.
• L.C. Oltmann: Roman Catholic prelate and Bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri.
• Robert Oltmann: German ice hockey player who played in the DEB-Liga
• Richard L. Oltmann: American scholar, linguist, and professor of linguistics at the University of California, Los Angeles.
• Valentina Oltmann: German actress, known for the movie The Rider on the Rain (2014).
• Chris Oltmann: American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the San Diego Padres.
• Domenic Oltmann: German painter and lithographer.
• Lothar Oltmann: German artist and professor of fine art.
• Alfred Oltmann: German-born American architect who designed over 20 structures around Dallas, Texas.
• Gerd Oltmann: German photographer and musician.

Other surnames

Oltmanns