Surname Segmüller - Meaning and Origin
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Segmüller: What does the surname Segmüller mean?
The last name Segmüller is of German origin. It is a derivative of the name Seegmueller, which is derived from the word seegmühle, meaning 'mill on the sea'. This kind of mill was used to grind grain in the Middle Ages to make flour.
The Seegmueller name can be found as far back as the late 1700s, when it first began appearing in records in the German states of Bavaria and Palatinate. As centuries passed and people moved around the world, the surname changed, often becoming simplified, with variants such as Segmueller and Segmüller.
Today, the Segmüller surname is most commonly found in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, though it is also found in many other countries around the world. Most Segmüllers today can be found doing a variety of occupations, though there is a long-standing tradition of the family continuing to work in the milling industry, with many Segmüllers still employed by mill and grain companies throughout Europe.
Family histories often trace the Segmüller surname to the same ancestral mill, offering an intriguing clue to the family’s distant past. And while the use of mills is now largely a thing of the past, the Segmüller name lives on as both a reminder of the family’s history and a testament to the power of the name’s origin - mill on the sea.
Order DNA origin analysisSegmüller: Where does the name Segmüller come from?
The last name Segmüller is most likely of German origin. This surname is still very common today, particularly in the German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Segmüllers are also found in the United States and other parts of Europe and even in South America.
One of the most popular origins of the Segmüller surname is from the state of Bavaria, located in southeastern Germany. This stems from an older form of the name, Seygrümler. This term originates from the words sey (wood) and grümme (field with fence). Therefore, the surname office wanted to denote that the family was from a farm or rural area in Bavaria where they had a wood fence for protection.
The Segmüller surname can also be found in the northern German states of Nord Rhein-Westfalen and Saxony. In these areas, the name is derived from Sigmund, a personal male given name from the Old Germanic word Sigismund (victory protector) that first became popular in the 8th century.
The Segmüller name has even spread outside of Europe specifically to the United States and South America. Immigrants with the last name Segmüller began arriving in the United States as early as 1849 and most likely attempted to Americanize their name upon arrival. Segmüllers can also typically be found among the German-speaking people of Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay who immigrated to the area in the 1800s.
Today, the Segmüller surname is encountered across the globe, but still remains common in its countries of origin. It is very likely that by looking in the phone book or the internet, one could find various Segmüllers in almost every German-speaking country.
Variations of the surname Segmüller
The surname Segmüller is believed to have originated in the German regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and may refer to either one of two different families.
Variants of the surname Segmüller include Segmmuller, Segmuller, Segmualler, Segmuller, Segment, Segmueller, Segmenter, Segmêller, Sygmeuller, and Sygmüler.
The more common variant of the surname is Segment, which is derived from the term seggemandeler meaning ‘low German name’. It is most often found in the city of Nuremberg in Bavaria, where a branch of the family has been living since the Middle Ages.
Another variant is Segmüller, which is derived from the words segge and müller and translates as 'mill worker'. This spelling is generally associated with the city of Mannheim in Baden-Württemberg.
Variations of the surname include Segemueller, Segmuller, Segmenter, Segmueller, Segmuellen, Segelmueller, Segmukler, Sygmueller, Sygmeuller, and Sygmüler.
One of the earliest records of the Segmüller family name dates back to the 1400s, when a Johannes Sygmeuller (also spelled Sygmeir) was mentioned as a ‘clerk’ in the Imperial Court of Austria.
Other early records of the Segmüller name can be found in German church records from the 16th and 17th centuries, which often record baptisms, marriages and deaths in various families bearing the surname.
Today, the surname Segmüller is still common in both Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and is also found in other German-speaking countries including Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Famous people with the name Segmüller
- Michael Segmüller, German author of several non-fiction books relating to the history of bureaucracy and the state.
- Nathalie Segmüller, German journalist and TV presenter for NDR and ARD networks.
- Freyja Segmüller, German illustrator and author who focuses on social subjects.
- Adolph Segmüller, German entomologist and arachnologist.
- Hemmo Segmüller, German teacher and politician for the National Democratic Party of Germany.
- Friedrich Segmüller, German doctor, quantum mechanics professor, and winner of the Niedersachsen Kulturpreis.
- Erwin von Segmüller, Austrian-American composer, arranger, and instrumentalist.
- Max Segmüller, German mathematician noted for his contributions to number theory.
- Leo Segmüller, Austrian Architect who designed St. Florian Monastery and the People's Park in Linz, Austria.
- Georg Segmüller, German dramatist, satirist, and novelist.
- Wilfried Segmüller, German sculptor known for his copper and steel sculptures.
- Wilgen von Segmüller, German television writer, director, and producer.
- Konrad Segmüller, German writer and politician.
- Heinz Segmüller, German psychoanalyst and scholar of psychoanalysis, sociology, and philosophy.
- Barbara Segmüller, German author and English literature scholar.