Surname Wintmöller - Meaning and Origin
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Wintmöller: What does the surname Wintmöller mean?
The last name Wintmöller is a German and Dutch surname typically found in northern Germany, the Netherlands, and regions of Switzerland. The surname is largely derived from the Middle Low German phrase "wintemöller" which translates to "wine dealer". This indicates that the initial bearers of the name likely worked in the wine trade at some point in the past.
The family name is rooted in Old German and could possibly have derived from a local name for a house that dealt in wine. This is supported by the fact that the name was initially found in Northern Germany nearlocations with significant wine-producing industries.
Pronunciation of this surname varies between German and Dutch variants. In Germany, the name is often pronounced as "vintmuhller"; in the Netherlands, it is typically pronounced as "vinthmöller".
The variant spelling of Wintmöller is common in the Netherlands, while the German-style spelling is often "Vintmöller". It is not uncommon to encounter both variants within the same family.
Those with the last name of Wintmöller primarily originated in Northern Germany and the Netherlands; however, it is now commonly found around the world. With the advent of better transport and communication networks, families with this surname have spread and can now be found in a variety of countries.
Order DNA origin analysisWintmöller: Where does the name Wintmöller come from?
The last name Wintmöller is most commonly found today in Germany. According to the genealogical organization Verband deutscher Familienkundler e.V., it is the ninth most common last name in the country today. It is more common in the regions of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern near the Baltic coast. It is speculated that the name likely originated in those regions, and it has likely been carried through generations in the same families since at least the 17th century.
The best guess about the meaning of the surname is that it was derived from the world “windmüller,” or miller of wind. This was likely the profession of the very early bearers of the name. The German-language Juristenlexikon (Legal Lexicon) from 1869 also contains an entry for Wintmeuseler, a rare spelling variant, and the same entry implies it to denote a profession.
Today, Wintmöller is also found in some other Germanic-speaking countries, but at a much lesser frequency. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 people across Europe carry the surname today. It has also been found in some U.S. records, but these are likely descendants of German immigrants. The only somewhat common use of the surname outside of Germany is in the Netherlands, where it is not nearly as dominant as it is in Germany.
Variations of the surname Wintmöller
The surname Wintmöller has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Some of these include Windmöller, Wintemöller, Wintmueller, Wintmuller and Vintmöller. It is generally considered to be a German surname that originated from the Middle Low German elements “wind”, which means “wind”, and “möller”, which means “miller”. The surname might have derived from one of the many occupations of milling, such as a miller, windmiller or windmillerman, a miller of grain. It was likely a patronymic surname, meaning it was created from the personal name of the father.
The surname Wintmöller can also be found with other various spellings such as Wintemöller, Wintemueller, Wintmueller, Wintemuller and Vintmöller. The Wintemöller variant is particularly common and can be found in various spellings such as Wintemoller, Wintermöller, Wintemöller, Vintemöller, Wintemuller, Windermoeller and Windermoller.
The surname Wintmöller is mostly found in Germany, but it is also present in many other countries, including Austria, Switzerland and the United States. It is also fairly common in other countries such as the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.
In addition to the variants of the surname Wintmöller, there are many other surnames that have a similar origin, such as Windahl, Windheer, Windsteig, Windt, Windmann, Windmann, Wintacinno, Windisch and Windisch. All these surnames have the same meaning of “wind miller” and can be seen as variants of the same surname.
Famous people with the name Wintmöller
- Hans Wintmöller: a German painter and graphic artist, most well known for his Basel studies in the 1950s.
- Jacob Wintmöller: a German businessman and entrepreneur, best known as the founder of the Wintmöller Group.
- Jochen Wintmöller: a German cartoonist and illustrator, co-creator of the comic book series „Die Bergkaiser“
- Louise Wintmöller: a prominent German chemist and toxicologist, the first female professor in the field of toxicology at the Technical University Munich.
- Max Wintmöller: a German actor and designer, best known for the musical comedy Wintmöller „Die Zauberinsel“.
- Nicki Wintmöller: a German singer-songwriter and recording artist, known for her 2002 album „Keep Me Waiting“.
- Renate Wintmöller: a German doctor and pharmacologist, renowned for her research on anti-obesity drugs.
- Uwe Wintmöller: a German filmmaker and television director, credited with directing television series such as „Gefährliche Freunde“.