Surname Pelster - Meaning and Origin
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Pelster: What does the surname Pelster mean?
The last name Pelster is a German patronymic surname meaning "son of Pels." It is derived from the first name Pels, a pet form of Apollonius. Apollonius was an ancient Greek given name deriving from the name Apollon, who was the son of Zeus and the Greek God of light and the sun. The name Pels is likely derived from his worship in ancient times.
The surname Pelster is found mostly in Germany, Lithuania, and Siberia. It is believed that many of the German bearers of the surname had moved from Lithuania or Siberia to Germany in the 17th and 18th centuries. The name could also be found in some areas of east-central Europe, suggesting that some of the ancestors of today's German bearers of the surname originated in the area now known as Belarus.
In terms of a literal translation, the surname Pelster means "son of Pels" or "belonging to Pels." This could refer to someone who is a relative of the Apollo and is guided by the sun god's example. It could also describe someone who is believed to be descended from an early worshipper of Apollo.
Overall, the last name Pelster is a patronymic surname which refers to someone who is either related to or connected with an ancient sun god in some way. It is believed that many of today's bearers of the surname had ancestors who moved from Lithuania or Siberia to Germany centuries ago. Being derived from the first name Pels, the surname Pelster literally means "son of Pels" or "belonging to Pels" and is associated with the Greek god Apollo.
Order DNA origin analysisPelster: Where does the name Pelster come from?
The last name Pelster is often associated with the Germanic countries of Europe, particularly Germany itself. Areas where the last name is most commonly found today include Berlin, Munich, and Saxony, as well as the German-speaking countries of Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg. The surname is also seen in Hungary, Poland and earlier in the Netherlands and parts of the United States of America.
Pelster is a relatively rare last name, with only 500-1000 individuals in Europe bearing that name. It is a habitational name, which indicates that it is derived from the place where the original bearer of the name lived or where he held land. In this case, Pelster is derived from the Old High German words “pel” or “pils” meaning “settlement,” and “ster” meaning “dweller” or “inhabitant.”
The Pelster coat of arms consists of three stars in a shield, which indicates that the original bearer was a high-ranking individual. The last name could have been derived from a place where a high-ranking individual lived or owned land, such as the family’s ancestral home.
Given the age of the last name, it is likely that a noble family with a military background resides in the area. This could be confirmed by looking at local church records or genealogies, which might contain details about a Pelster family.
Variations of the surname Pelster
The surname Pelster is derived from the Old German given name Balthasar, which is a combination of the words Bald meaning bold, valiant and fearless, and Thasar meaning associated with the God. Pelster is a variant spelling of the surname Balthasar and is a regional variant that is mainly found in the Moselle region of Germany and Belgium. Other variants and spellings of Pelster include Balthasar, Balthisar, Baltus, Balka, Balters, Balck, Bolck, and Bolster.
Surnames of similar origin to Pelster include Balthasar, Balla, Ballus, Balz, Balzrich, Pehles, Pelz, Peltz, Peltzer, Peltzer, Pelt, Pelts, Piletz, and Pillert.
All of these variations of the same origin are most likely formed from a diminutive of the given name Balthasar. Some of these surnames can also be found in Scotland, where some bearers of the Pelster surname were of Scottish origins.
Many people of the Pelster surname have emigrated to the United States, primarily between the middle of the 19th century and first decades of the 20th century. Pelster is a particularly common surname in Wisconsin, where many immigrants of German-speaking background settled in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Pelster surname can also be traced as far back as 1586 in the Lindau region of Bavaria, Germany where it is recorded in many archival documents. The ancient family records can be found in the Burgerbuch von Lindau (Citizens’ Book of Lindau) and the Bolcken family records of the von Bolcken and Pelster.
The surname Pelster is an uncommon surname, but due to emigration it is found in many areas around the world including Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States.
Famous people with the name Pelster
- Karl Pelster (1859-1940), German jurist and historian
- Thais Pelster (1875-1964), Austrian-Brazilian actress
- William Hal Pelster (1910-1993), American dermatologist
- Wolfgang Pelster (born 1941), German racing cyclist
- Jakob Pelster (born 1966), German actor
- Rebekka Pelster (born 1971), German politician
- Aurelia Pelster (born 1972), German computer scientist
- Arnd Pelster (born 1972), German comedian and actor
- Hanna Pelster (born 1985), German film director
- Bob Pelster (fl. 1990s-2010s), American professional golfer
- Eric Pelster (fl. 1990s-2010s), American filmmaker
- Anna Pelster (fl. 2000s-2010s), German voice actress