Surname Fliege - Meaning and Origin

Fliege: What does the surname Fliege mean?

The last name Fliege has a few possible meanings. It is likely of German or Dutch origin, as those languages have similar pronunciations of the name. It could refer to a fly or a butterfly, and the literal translation of the name from a German or Dutch root would be "fly."

More likely, the origin of the name is occupational or descriptive; the name is thought to be related to someone who works as a courier or a messenger. This is supported by the fact that the name comes from a German root word, "fliegen," which translates to "fly" but can also be used to mean "carry" or "hurry."

The surname Fliege is common across various parts of Germany, Europe, and the broader Western world. In a document of East Prussian Namenbuch (names book) of 1781 from the Prussian Government, this last name is recorded. In the United States, the first recorded use of the Fliege surname occurred in the 1880s, with an immigrant from Germany named Louis Fliege. This name is now found in various parts of the United States, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida, and California.

Overall, the last name Fliege is likely of German origin meaning messenger or courier. Its current use in different parts of the United States is likely because of immigrants who left Germany in the 19th Century.

Fliege: Where does the name Fliege come from?

The last name Fliege is most commonly found in Germany today. It is derived from the word "fliege," which means fly in German, and may have originally been an occupational name given to people who worked with flying insects such as bees and other small bugs. According to a map provided by Forebears, the Fliege surname is most prevalent in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, with the city of Mannheim having the highest concentration. It is also present in neighboring German states such as Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate.

The prevalence of the Fliege surname also extends to other parts of Europe including Austria, Switzerland, and parts of the Netherlands. It has even become a popular surname in the United States, predominantly due to immigration from Germany in the 1800s. According to the Social Security Administration, over 3,000 have taken the Fliege surname in the US since 1880.

The spelling of the Fliege surname also varies depending on the country. For example, it is written as "Vliege" in the Netherlands, and as "Fleige" in Austria. Despite these differences in spelling, the origin of the last name remains the same.

Variations of the surname Fliege

The surname Fliege is a German surname that originally comes from the word for “fly” in old German. Variants of this surname include Flege, Fleeg, Fleege, Flegge, and Fleig. These spellings could be found in both Germany and other countries of German-speaking Europe, such as Austria. The German-American immigrants to the US also brought the surname with them in many of these different spellings.

In England and other English-speaking countries, the name may be spelled Fly or Flye. These forms of the name originated from the English word for “fly”, not the German word.

There are several related surnames that come from the same root, which were originally distinct names. They include Flyger, Flager, Flack, Flacker, Fläckner, Fleischman or Fleischmann, Flegel, and Fleischer. These are all compounds of the word for “fly” and various suffixes.

Much like in German, the names could be found in many different spellings. For example, the German spelling Fleischer may translate to “Flescher” or “Fletcher” in English, or to “Fleischmann” or “Flessman” in Dutch. The Dutch surname Flygert is also related.

Some of these variants have come to be associated with different variants of the same surname, such as the German surname Fleig and the Dutch variant Flygert. Other variants include the Swedish surnames Flygare and Flygte, and the Czech surname Flajs.

In short, the surname Fliege and its variants are widespread and have been found in many countries and forms throughout Europe, as well as in the United States. The variants of the name are many, and they can often be linked back to the root of the name: the old German word for “fly”.

Famous people with the name Fliege

• Kurt Fliege: German former footballer who played as a forward. He was a member of Borussia Dortmund's 1973 European Cup Winners' Cup, and also played one season with Rot-Weiss Oberhausen.
• Richard Fliege: American former NFL offensive lineman who played for the Los Angeles Rams.
• Chris Fliege: American retired NFL wide receiver who played for the St. Louis Rams.
• Steven Fliege: German former football goalkeeper who last played for Rot-Weiss Oberhausen.
• Joost Fliege: Dutch retired football defender who last played for Feyenoord.
• Robby Fliege: American former NFL tight end who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Jürgen Fliege: German actor and filmmaker who appeared in films such as Wim Wenders’ “The State of Things” and “The Soul of the Painter”.
• Bernd Fliege: German designer and sculptor specialized in functional design.
• Gert Fliege: German retired footballer who last played for VfL Bochum.
• Herwig Fliege: German artist and pianist best known for his fusion of Jazz, Gospel and classical music.

Other surnames

Fliegauf