Surname Strässer - Meaning and Origin
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Strässer: What does the surname Strässer mean?
The last name Strässer is a German surname. It originates from the name of a profession, often found as part of towns and villages in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. Strässer – or Straßenwirtschaft – was a type of open-air restaurant typically found outside town walls where beer and other food and drinks were sold. The inhabitants of such a business were called Strässer.
The name Strässer literally translates as ‘road-seller’ or ‘street-seller’. It indicates that the original owner of the name was a vender of food and drink along a road, a profession that later developed into the tavern-keeper trade.
The Strässers were a vital component of medieval life and helped to build and foster trade and relationships among different regions of the German-speaking world. During the turbulent Middle Ages, Strässers were the reliable source of food and drink in a given area, allowing them to become significant financial centres in their respective towns.
Strässer is one of the oldest German family names with the earliest recorded example of the name being Strasser de Löwe who lived in 1209 in Erfurt – a city in Thuringia, Germany. The Strässer name has evolved over the centuries since this early occurrence, and it is still a popular surname today.
Order DNA origin analysisSträsser: Where does the name Strässer come from?
The last name Strässer is primarily associated with German-speaking regions in Europe. It is most commonly found in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria. According to the most recent census data, Strässer is the 995th most common surname in Germany with around 13,000 people bearing the name. In the Netherlands, Strässer is the 1,777th most common surname with an estimated 617 people bearing the name, while it is the 5,021st most common surname in Switzerland and the 12,573rd most common surname in Austria.
The belief that this surname originates from a place-name is generally accepted, though it is unclear what that place-name may have been. Some suggest that it may have originated in the region of Sauerland in Germany, as there is still a village in the area called Sträßer. It is possible that the last name Strässer emerged from a reference to the village of Sträßer more than 700 years ago, and began to be used as a last name as that village grew.
The last name Strässer is still relatively common today, though of course no one can know for sure how many Strässers are living in the world at any given moment. Though the name can be traced back to the medieval period, the name Strässer continues to have a presence in many northern and central European countries, and may likely remain an important part of the European gene pool in the future.
Variations of the surname Strässer
The surname Strässer has various variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common variant spellings of this surname are Strasser, Strausser and Strosher.
The Irish version of this surname is Straeighter, which is also the German spelling of the surname. In Switzerland, Strausser is the most commonly seen variant, while Staehler has been the form used in Austria.
The English pronunciation of Strässer is Straesher. The Dutch version is Straaiser, Straaser and Straesser. In Sweden, the Netherlandic form is Streser.
Strässer is also an Ashkenazic name of German origin. It is derived from the German word ‘straussen’ meaning ‘to wander’ or ‘to roam’. As such, it likely refers to someone who was a wanderer.
The surname Strässer is also found in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Spellings of the surname include Strasser and Strosche in Yiddish. Another Jewish variant of the name is Staryszer or Strayser.
Other related spellings of Strässer include Streassen, Strösser, Strainer, Strain, and Streiner.
In conclusion, there are various variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Strässer. From different regions, cultures and countries, the surname Strässer has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
Famous people with the name Strässer
- Karl-Heinz Strässer, politician from Germany
- Ursula Strässer, activist, lawyer, and served as Minister of Justice of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Wolfgang Strässer, German actor
- Florian Strässer, German military historian
- Winrich Strässer, German philosopher
- Felix Strässer, German artist
- Erhard Strässer, German politician
- Benedikt Strässer, German composer
- Jens Strässer, German politician
- Ludwig Strässer, German architect
- Erich Strässer, German businessman and industrialist
- Anna Strässer-Döring, German politician
- Bernhard Strässer, German game designer
- Friedrich Strässer, German astronomer
- Jana Strässer, German television producer.