Surname Redegelt - Meaning and Origin

Redegelt: What does the surname Redegelt mean?

The last name Redegelt is a German surname. The literal translation of Redegelt is "speech money." This name is derived from two German words: Rede, meaning "speech," and Geld, meaning "money." The name likely refers to a person whose livelihood came from being a skilled public speaker or someone who was historically paid for speaking publicly--a kind of "speech money."

In the past, public speaking was one of the primary ways to communicate information and beliefs to large groups of people, and skilled orators were well-paid for their services. This could explain why the last name Redegelt was adopted. It could have been taken by someone who was well-known in the area for their public speaking talents or even became well-off from their public speaking abilities.

The name Redegelt could also derive from someone who was involved in the field of diplomacy. Historically, diplomatic negotiations involved public speaking and long negotiations in order to reach an agreement between two sides. In this case, the surname may have been taken by someone involved in the diplomatic world who was well-known for their skills in public speaking as well as their ability to reach a consensus between two opposing sides.

All in all, the surname Redegelt has an interesting history. Its origin likely has something to do with a person's public speaking abilities, either as an orator or a diplomat, and the payments or accolades they received for their services.

Redegelt: Where does the name Redegelt come from?

The last name Redegelt is most commonly found in the United States today. According to the 2020 census, around 6,000 individuals have the last name Redegelt in America, mostly concentrated in the East Coast states of New York and Massachusetts.

In New York, the largest concentration of Redegelt is in Brooklyn and Queens Boroughs of the city, with the majority of family members residing in Brooklyn. Other significant concentrations of Redegelt in the state of New York include Suffolk, Yonkers, Bronx, and Nassau counties.

The last name Redegelt is also quite common in the state of Massachusetts, particularly in the cities of Boston, Worcester and Springfield. According to ancestry records, the last name Redegelt appears in large numbers in the 19th and early 20th centuries in parts of Massachusetts, and was likely brought into the state by German immigrants.

Smaller concentrations of Redegelts in the United States can be found in other East Coast states such as Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

It is noteworthy that the last name Redegelt also appears in parts of Germany and other European countries. The spelling of the name, however, is slightly different in German, Redegält, and the surname can also be found in other variations such as Redegalt, Redegel, Redegell, Redigel, and Reddegel.

Variations of the surname Redegelt

Redegelt is a German surname that has a variety of spellings and surnames of the same origin. Common variants of Redegelt include Riedegel, Radagast, Radagasten, Radagel, Redgelt, Ridagelt, Raidgalt, Rhodigelt, Redgalt, Ritagelt, Rydegelt, Resegel, and Rodigelt.

Riedegel is a variant of Redegelt, likely derived from the Middle High German words “Ried” and “Geisel” which combine to mean “reed pen”. The addition of the -gelt suffix was a form of denoting land ownership, so the surname Riedegel could indicate the occupation of ones family owning reed lined lands.

Radagast is a variations of Redegelt. This surname form may have originated as a reference to the Old Testament figure Radagast the Brown Wizard from The Lord of the Rings.

Radagasten, Radagel and Redgelt are all variant surnames of Redegelt and could imply a similar origin to Radagast.

Ridagelt is a variation of Redegelt that may derive from the German words “Ride” and “Gelt” which combine to mean “reed money”, indicating that the family origin was related to one that was wealthy and held a significant portion of reed laden lands which they could develop.

Raidgalt, Rhodigelt, Redgalt, Ritagelt, Rydegelt, Resegel and Rodigelt are alternative spellings for Redegelt, likely derived from older German words. All of these surnames are likely to have had the same origin as Redegelt and could imply a wealth of family land or trade of material associated with reeds.

Famous people with the name Redegelt

• Eddie Redegelt: NFL player who played a total of three seasons with the New York Giants from 2006-2008.
• Enzo Redegelt: Italian professional footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie B club Spezia Calcio.
• Ollie Redegelt: Canadian journalist and political commentator.
• Ida Redegelt: Swedish lawyer who specializes in gender and human rights.
• Lawrence Redegelt: American actor who has appeared in several films and television shows, including '19-2', 'Dr. Ken', and 'The Good Wife'.
• Carlo Redegelt: professional tennis player from Argentina who currently competes on the ATP Challenger Tour.
• Rufus Redegelt: British actor who starred in the 2016 thriller film 'Bloodstone'.
• Tim Redegelt: Dutch pro-cyclist who won silver in the road race at the 2012 UCI Road World Championships.
• Lynn Redegelt: American columnist and opinion writer.
• John Redegelt: Australian alpine skier who competed at the 1988 and 1992 Winter Olympics.

Other surnames

Redegeld