Surname Westermüller - Meaning and Origin
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Westermüller: What does the surname Westermüller mean?
The German surname Westermüller is an occupational surname derived from the Old High German “mulinari” which means miller. Therefore, it indicates a person who worked in a mill in a western region.
The miller was an important job in the Middle Ages, when he was responsible for grinding grain to prepare it for human consumption. The millers used large water-powered mills for the grinding process. They were the people responsible for the production of bread, which was the staple food of the period.
The miller was an important figure in rural communities, and the Westermüller surname may have originally referred to a family of millers who worked in the area near the western border of Germany. This may have been in the Rhine Valley, which is the geographic location of the Moselle River where milling was common in medieval times.
The Westermüller surname is quite uncommon and is not used widely outside of Germany. Those who carry the name today may be descended from the generations of millers from long ago.
Order DNA origin analysisWestermüller: Where does the name Westermüller come from?
The last name Westermüller is most commonly found in Germany today. It is likely to be an occupational name, deriving from the word for a miller, back from when many people earned a living by milling grain and other foodstuffs.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Germans began migrating to other countries in search of new opportunities. As a result, Westermüller is now also found in various places outside of Germany, such as the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
In the US, people with the last name Westermüller can be found especially in Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, and California. However, this surname can be found throughout all states and major cities, and it is estimated that there are currently over 5,000 people in the US with this last name.
In Brazil, Westermüller can be found mostly in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In the UK, this surname can be found in various places, but especially in Scotland and the London area.
Of course, the true ‘Westermüller heartland’ is likely to be Germany, where this name has been most popular for centuries. Therefore, those looking to research their Westermüller family history are likely to find the most reliable information in Germany itself.
Variations of the surname Westermüller
The surname Westermüller has several variants, spellings, and surnames of its origin. Vestermüller, Vestermeuller, Vestermöller, Vestermoller, Westmeyer, Vestermeyer, and Vostermüller are some of the variant spellings for Westermüller. Other surname variants of origin include Westermaller, Westermulder, Westermueller, Westermuller, Westmeuller, Vestermaler, Westmuller, and Westermüller.
Many different spellings and variations of Westermüller can be found throughout Central and Northern Europe. In Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, it is sometimes spelled Vestermüller, whereas in the Netherlands and Belgium it is often spelled Vestermöller. In England and Scotland, the surname variation Westmeyer is more common than elsewhere. In North America, the form Westermueller is more prevalent than any of the above variations.
The origin of the surname Westermüller is thought to be of Germanic descending. In Germany, the first spelling of the name was Vestermüller and it was first documented in the 14th century. Other variant spellings are in reference to the locations in which they were first found.
The ancestral home of Westermüller is in the Rhineland-Palatinate region in Germany. The earliest records of the family name can be found in Bavaria during the 16th century, and the Westermüller family was well-known farmers and landowners.
Today, the surname is still quite common in Central and Northern Europe, and as a result many other countries have a diaspora of the Westermüller family. The family is also common in North America, particularly in parts of Canada and across the United States.
Famous people with the name Westermüller
- Gerhard Westermüller (swimmer)
- Timo Westermüller (soccer player)
- Isolde Westermüller (swimmer)
- Jürgen Westermüller (musician)
- Fabian Westermüller (artist)
- Andreas Westermüller (guitarist)
- Dr. sidney Westermüller (bassist)
- Markus Westermüller (musician)
- Lothar Westermüller (basketball player)
- Jens Westermüller (actor and producer)
- Prof. Dr. Michael Westermüller (economist)
- Andrea Westermüller (chef de cuisine)
- Volker Westermüller (aeronautical engineer)
- Max Westermüller (artist)
- Alfred Westermüller (painter)
- Monika Westermüller (photographer)
- Dietmar Westermüller (director of photography)
- Torsten Westermüller (conductor)
- Silke Westermüller (dancer)
- Ladislava Westermüllerová (actress)