Surname Reifenrath - Meaning and Origin

Reifenrath: What does the surname Reifenrath mean?

The last name Reifenrath is a German name, with the “Reif” part of the name deriving from the Middle German-Old High German word for “strong” or “bold” as described in the Grosse Namensbuch. The “en” is a diminutive suffix used to indicate a short form and could be translated as meaning “little bold one”. The second half of the name “rath” is derived from the Old High German word “rat” usually used to signify guidance and advice.

When the two part of the last name Reifenrath are combined, it can be interpreted as meaning “bold adviser”, which could describe the ancestral family’s penchant for providing sound counsel. Given that this name is used predominantly across Germany and Austria, it could be assumed that this last name is derived from a long line of ancestors within these regions. It has also been suggested that the name may have originated in areas of Germany and Austria that were located on the Rhine; this could explain the use of the “en” suffix as families living around the Rhine might have preferred to use it.

The name Reifenrath is short, but despite its brevity, an array of interesting connotations can be attributed to it, making it an intriguing name to trace.

Reifenrath: Where does the name Reifenrath come from?

The last name Reifenrath is commonly found in Germany and the surrounding region. It has long been associated with the area, as the name appears in the records of many German parishes as far back as the 1400s.

It is believed that the Reifenrath surname originated from the area near Rommerskirchen. The region is known for its wooded areas, so it may be that the family originally worked the forests. It is possible that early Reifenraths specialized in woodworking and carpentry, as Rommerskirchen was a center for those trades at the time.

Today, the last name Reifenrath is most commonly found in Germany. According to FamilySearch, approximately 5,000 people carry the name in Germany. It is also found in other countries, though the exact numbers are not known.

Reifenrath surnames are also seen in the United States. The number of Americans bearing the name is estimated to be around 1,200. The bulk of these are found in Ohio, the state with the largest concentration of Reifenraths.

In addition to the United States, the surname Reifenrath is also found in countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is unclear how many people carry the name in these countries, but it is likely that the number is not high.

Overall, the Reifenrath name is most commonly found in Germany and the surrounding region, though it is beginning to spread around the world, particularly to the United States and other English-speaking countries.

Variations of the surname Reifenrath

The surname Reifenrath is a German habitational name, derived from a place name with different variants. It is also known as Reifenrath, Reiffenrath, Riefenrath, Ryffenrath, Reiffenroth and Reiffenroth and Ryffenroth, although the latter two are much rarer. This surname can also be found with dialect spelling variations and surname spellings variations depending on the region.

The place name, from which the surname Reifenrath originates, was a habitation from which people often took their surname. This place is derived from the German words 'reifen' meaning ‘arrow’ and 'rath' meaning 'council'. Together, the words formed the name Reifenrath, which was the ancient name of a German town and became the name of the local inhabitants and their families.

The Reifenrath surname has a long history, with the first mention of it being in the Cologne Electoral Registers of 1577. From that time, it has spread throughout Europe, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

The meaning of the name makes it clear that its bearers are of Germanic origin, belonging to the Germanic language group. Over time, as different dialects developed, the surname changed and mutated in various ways, producing different variants of the name.

In the French-speaking regions of Switzerland, Bavaria and Austria, the surname Reifenrath can also be found spelled as Reiffenrath, Riefenrath, Ryffenrath, Reiffenroth and Reiffenroth, and Ryffenroth.

Although today, the name is mostly limited to Germany and the Dutch-speaking world, due to the large number of migration out of Germany to America, Canada and Australia, the surname can also be found in those countries as well.

Famous people with the name Reifenrath

• Bob Reifenrath, former Major League Baseball catcher
• Corinna Reifenrath, German actress
• Debra Reifenrath, Navajo author and poet
• Elmar Reifenrath, German rower
• Fritz Reifenrath, German classical baritone
• Hans Jürgen Reifenrath, German physician and professor
• Harry Reifenrath, American football coach
• John Reifenrath, American attorney and politician
• Karl Reifenrath, German ceramic sculptor
• Kelly Reifenrath, American investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist
• Marcell Reifenrath, German actress
• Max Reifenrath, former Alaskan Supreme Court justice
• Mercedes Reifenrath-Fernández, Spanish city councilor
• Paul Reifenrath, American artist
• Peter Reifenrath, German computer scientist
• Reinhard Reifenrath, German footballer
• Sue Reifenrath, German writer
• Willi Reifenrath, German politician and mayor
• Wilhelm Reifenrath, German architect

Other surnames

Reifenröther