Surname Unterlerchner - Meaning and Origin

Unterlerchner: What does the surname Unterlerchner mean?

The last name Unterlerchner is an occupational surname derived from the Middle German verb “lerchen,” meaning “to sing” or “warble.” The surname therefore translates to “singer” and is believed to have originated in Austria or Germany. It could have started with a person working as a church singer, or someone who enjoyed singing in their spare time.

The first part of the surname - “unter” - is a German preposition translating to “below” or “lesser.” It might have been added to indicate a junior position, such as an apprentice or assistant. Alternatively, Unterlerchner could refer to someone who sang in a low register - a counter-tenor or even a bass.

The word appears to be uncommon in Germany today, although it has likely been assimilated into the larger German vocabulary as a musical term. Historically, the name was used primarily for those living in the south Bavarian region, with the highest concentrations found around Munich. It is rarer in other regions, suggesting that the family may have moved there in earlier times. Today, there are both families and individuals carrying the Unterlerchner surname living in both Austria and Germany.

Unterlerchner: Where does the name Unterlerchner come from?

The surname Unterlerchner is most often found in Austria and Germany today. It is relatively rare in other countries and, according to Ancestry.com, does not appear in the United States in the 2020 census.

According to one genealogy website, the Unterlerchner family is believed to be of German or Austrian origin and has been found in records dating as far back as the 1600s. Most records of Unterlerchner families indicate that the surname is predominantly found in the south and southeast of Germany, particularly in the area's of Bavaria, Thuringia, and Saxony. Additionally, in Austria, Unterlerchner families can be found throughout the country, most notably around the cities of Vienna, Graz, and Innsbruck. The name itself may have derived from the German words "unter" and "lerche," which roughly translate to "under the lark," and could refer to a location near a pond or marshland where larks are known to be found.

Today, the Unterlerchner surname is still quite common in Austria and Germany and is most often found in rural or agricultural communities. However, while rarer in other countries, Unterlerchner is slowly but surely becoming more frequent in countries like Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States as the surname is passed down from generation to generation.

Variations of the surname Unterlerchner

Unterlerchner is a surname originating from Austria. It is also spelled Unterlaerchner, Unterlärchner, Unterlueerchner, Unterleerchner, Unterlörchner, Unterlürchner, Unterlechner, Unterlerhner and Unter knewer. This surname is derived from the upper larch village which is located in the Rauris Valley near the Hohe Tauern mountain range.

The name Unterlerchner can be split up into two words to indicate its meaning. The prefix Unter- derives from the German word unten which means lower or below. The second part of the name, lerchner, is derived from the German word larch, which is a type of evergreen tree. As a result, Unterlerchner translates to the lower part of the larch village.

A variant of Unterlerchner is Unterlaerchner, which is derived from the Old High German root lauha meaning swamp or low-lying land. Other variants of the name include Unterlärchner, Unterlueerchner, Unterleerchner, Unterlörchner, Unterlürchner, Unterlechner, Unterlerhner, and Unter knewer. Unterlörchner literally translates to low larch, while Unterlerhner translates to low larch village. Unter knewer refers to the village belonging to somebody with the last name “Knewer”.

All of these variants and spellings are derived from the same root, and further indicate the origin of the Unterlerchner family from the lower part of the larch village in the Rauris Valley.

Famous people with the name Unterlerchner

• Karl Unterlerchner (1733-1820), Austrian organist and composer
• Johannes Unterlerchner (1741-1818), Austrian composer, church musician and music theorist
• Robert Unterlerchner (1879-1941), Austrian gymnast
• Franz Unterlerchner (1913-1978), Austrian locomotive driver and resistance fighter
• Alfred Unterlerchner (1915-1999), German-born American Catholic theologian
• Elfriede Unterlerchner (1915-2009), Austrian field hockey player
• Siegfried Unterlerchner (1920-2003), Austrian mountaineer and mountain guide
• Maria Unterlerchner (born 1931), Austrian alpine skier
• Andi Unterlerchner (born 1946), Austrian luger
• Ewald Unterlerchner (born 1970), Austrian footballer

Other surnames

Unterlercher