Surname Mertenbaur - Meaning and Origin
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Mertenbaur: What does the surname Mertenbaur mean?
The last name Mertenbaur is of German origin and is composed of two words, “Merten” and “Bauer”. The word “Merten” likely derived from the German word “merte”, which can mean either “miracle” or “martyr”. The word “Bauer” is a German word meaning “farmer” or “peasant”. Put together, “Mertenbauer” likely means “miracle farmer” or “martyr farmer”, indicating the name Mertenbaur originally belonged to a farmer who was either involved in a miraculous event, or was a martyr for a certain cause.
The coat of arms associated with the Mertenbaur family has a gold lion rampant on a red shield, with a six-pointed gold star in the crest. It includes a motto in Latin that translates to “Be prepared for the coming day”. This indicates the Mertenbaur family was a noble and powerful one, likely very influential in its native Germany.
Though the history of the Mertenbaur family takes us back to Medieval Germany, the name has grown in popularity since. Nowadays, it is a very common German surname, with many large branches of the family living in Europe, North America and South America. As such, it can only be assumed the original Mertenbaur had a great impact in the lives of many, leaving a lasting legacy generations later.
Order DNA origin analysisMertenbaur: Where does the name Mertenbaur come from?
The last name Mertenbaur is a Germanic name that is no longer particularly common today. However, the surname is most commonly found and used in the southern and central regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria. Beyond Germany, there are a few smaller pockets of Mertenbaur families scattered across Europe, the United States, and Canada.
The largest pockets of Mertenbaur families outside of Germany are located in the United States and Canada. Mostly concentrated in Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada, Mertenbaur family members have been in the U.S. since the 1700s, with a small influx of German settlers coming to the Pennsylvania area and bringing the last name with them. From the Pennsylvania area, families have spread out, with small numbers in Texas, New York, Washington, and other states. Canada has a larger concentration of Mertenbaur families than the United States, with many individuals coming to Ontario, particularly Toronto, during Germany's industrialization period in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Today, the last name Mertenbaur is not as common as it once was. However, it remains a distant yet recognizable name to those from Bavaria, Pennsylvania, and Ontario.
Variations of the surname Mertenbaur
Mertenbaur is an uncommon German surname, but there are alternative variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Variants of the Mertenbaur name may include Mertenbaer, Mertenbauer, Mertenbaum, and Mertenboer. The spelling of this name has also changed over time, with some versions being Mertenbaue, Mertenbaumen, and Mertenbour.
Other surnames of the same origin are related to Mertenbaur, such as Mertens, Mertensdorf, Mertensmeyer, and Merton. Mertens is a common German surname, derived from the Middle High German name "Mertin", which is derived from the personal name Martin. Mertensdorf is a German toponymic surname, derived from the localities of Dormagen and Kassel, two small towns in the district of Mertensdorf. Mertensmeyer is a toponymic German surname derived from places called Mertensmeyer in North Rhine-Westphalia. Merton is an English surname derived from the Old English personal name Mert, which is a diminutive of 'Mauri'.
It is worth noting that all surnames of the Mertenbaur family are related, but each of them have evolved quite differently over the centuries.
Famous people with the name Mertenbaur
- Joseph Merteensbaur (born 1946), a German geophysicist and seismologist
- Linda Mertenbaur (1967–2010), a German fashion designer and artist
- Neal Mertenbaur (born 1981), an American professional wrestler
- Helena Mertensbaur (1914–2010), a Swiss art educator and artist
- Jan Mertenbaur (1919–1962), a German World War II fighter pilot
- Hans Mertenbaur (1888–1968), a German philosopher
- Paul Mertenbaur (1893–1975), a German-American architect
- Yann Mertenbaur (born 1991), a Swiss professional footballer
- Jim Mertenbouer (born 1945), an American sculptor
- Friedrich Mertenbaur (1919–1991), a German dentistry researcher