Surname Rehdorff - Meaning and Origin

Rehdorff: What does the surname Rehdorff mean?

The last name Rehdorff is of German origin and has both geographical and occupational origins.

Geographically speaking, the name Rehdorff comes from a town in Germany called Rehdrath. This town is located in the Rhine-Westphalia district of the country, and its name likely derives from the Old High German language, involving the words "red" (reh) and "place" (dorf). As a result, the name Rehdorff literally means "place of reeds," hence its origin in this specific region of Germany.

Occupationally, the surname Rehdorff can also be associated with various trades related to reeds. These include basket weaving, thatching, and making musical instruments such as hollyhocks and bagpipes from reeds. It is likely that those with the last name Rehdorff originally worked in these trades and eventually adopted this surname as a reference to their work.

Regardless of geographical or occupational roots, the surname Rehdorff is an honorable one that symbolizes strength and resilience. By combining the Old High German words to create a meaningful surname, German families can pass down a legacy for generations to come.

Rehdorff: Where does the name Rehdorff come from?

The last name Rehdorff is most commonly seen in Germany, where it is believed to have originated. It is also quite common in areas of Canada where German immigrants settled, like Ontario and British Columbia. The name is also seen in smaller numbers in the United States, particularly in states such as Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, which all have significant German-American populations.

Rehdorff is believed to be derived from the German name “Rehr” which refers to the deer. The added “-dorff” suffix means “village” in German, so the last name likely referred to a person from a village of deer, or even someone who kept deer in the village.

The Rehdorff name is rarer today, with the population of those bearing the name being estimated to be around 12,000 individuals. Given its earlier prominence, it seems likely that more people living in Germany and German-settled areas of North America share some distant ancestry with the Rehdorff family. Many individuals with this surname likely don’t even realize that they’re part of a larger ancestry group.

Variations of the surname Rehdorff

Rehdorff is a surname originating from Germany and Scandinavia. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin include Rehder, Reder, Reddorff, Reeder, Reidorff, Reitdorff, Reitdorf, Reitdorffer, Reiteder, Reiderer, Reetdorff, Reeter, Rieder and Rydorff.

Rehdorff is a topographic name for someone who lived at the edge of the forest or heath, deriving from the Middle High German (MHG) words refer and dorf, literally meaning "edge of the village". It was popularly taken by someone who lived in close proximity to an open field.

In Germany, there are 20 possible dialect variations of Rehdorff, including Rehder and Reeder. The Germanic Reder variant is derived from the MHG word reeder which means "rider" or "coachman". The German Rydorff, from MHG ritter, is a name for a knight or courageous person.

The Scandinavian variants include Reidorff and Reitdorff and are derived from MHG word reit, meaning "horseback rider". The Swedish Reitdorffer is a variant of Reitdorf. The Dutch variant Reeter is derived from MHG ritter with the common Dutch habit of inserting the mid vowel -e-. Reiderer is a Bavarian variant from MHG reiter, meaning "horseman".

The surname Rehdorff is found in Germany, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, England, and other areas of Europe. In the United States it is most common in the state of Wisconsin and in Canada it is most prevalent in British Columbia.

Famous people with the name Rehdorff

• Meike Rehdorff, German actress
• Harry Rehdorff, German collaborative artist
• Bruna Rehdorff, Brazilian-American actress
• Ingo Rehdorff, German stuntman
• Benny Rehdorff, German actor and set designer
• Gudrun Rehdorff, German scriptwriter
• Hannelore Rehdorff, German psychologist and psychotherapist
• Jan Rehdorff, Danish sculptor
• Barbara Rehdorff, German legal scholar
• Nicole Rehdorff, American professional ballet dancer and choreographer

Other surnames

Rehdorf