Surname Riefel - Meaning and Origin
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Riefel: What does the surname Riefel mean?
The last name Riefel is of Germanic origin, meaning “clothing merchant”. This surname comes from the Middle High German rīvel, which refers to a merchant who specialized in selling or bartering clothing and other fabrics, or a financier who offered loans using these items as collateral. This name likely began appearing in records as early as the Medieval era, and has been found in various spellings across Europe, including Reifel, Riefel, Reiffel, Reifele and Rivel.
In the United States, this last name was more commonly spelled Reifel, most likely due to immigration patterns from Germany in the mid to late 1800s. Many families with this surname were merchants of fabrics, clothing, and small wares, and could be found in the major port cities of the east coast.
Today, this last name still exists mostly in the form of Reifel. Bearers of this last name are both carriers of a proud Germanic-American history and part of a global diaspora dating centuries. The meaning of this last name reflects the historic service that its bearers provided for communities throughout Europe and beyond.
Order DNA origin analysisRiefel: Where does the name Riefel come from?
The last name Riefel is most commonly found in the United States today. According to the US Census, it is among the top 20,000 names in the country, making it a relatively common last name. It is particularly concentrated in Pennsylvania, where nearly 5,000 people bear this name.
Riefel is also found in a variety of other countries around the world, most especially Germany. The name is derived from the Middle High German words 'Rifel' or 'Rüfel', which means 'ruffle'. It is possible that the name originated from the German word 'riefen', which meant 'to furrow', or 'to rough up the soil'. This suggests that the last name was likely begun by someone who worked the land.
The Riefel name is also found in Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, and Denmark, nations where significant German-speaking populations resided. Migration patterns, especially from the 19th century onwards, led to the growth of the name outside of its German origins, thus accounting for its presence in the US and other countries today.
Given the prevalence of the name in German-speaking regions, it is probable that the Riefel family has its roots in this area. It is likely that many of the current modern day bearers of the name are descendants of these original Riefels, either through direct ancestral lines or through modern migration.
Variations of the surname Riefel
The variants and spellings of the surname Riefel include Riefle, Reifel, Reifel, Rife, Rifele, Reifeld, Reifold, Reifell, Rifeld, Ryffel, Ryffle, Reifeldt, Reiffel, Ryfel, Ryfelt, Reifoldt, Riffel, Riffell, Riffle, and Ryffell.
Riefel is an old German and Swiss-German name. It likely originated in the Upper Rhineland of Germany, with the root coming from the Middle High German word “rivel,” which means “border area.” This is the area that was once known as Rheinfelden. So, when someone with this surname was mentioned in a document, they were likely living near the German-Swiss border.
The variants of the name reveal the various regional customs of spelling across this region. The German spelling of the name would have been “Riefel” or “Riefle” while the Swiss-German spelling would be “Reifel” or “Reifele.” As many surnames did in those times, phonetic spellings developed over time, leading to variant spellings such as “Rife,” “Riffeld,” “Riffell,” and “Riffle.” Other variants such as “Ryffel,” “Ryffle,” and “Ryfel” also emerged as a result of this process.
Throughout centuries of migration the surname has become a familiar component of European history and culture. As such, it has found its way across borders, languages and differing spellings, with many new surnames popping up along the way. These include “Reifold,” “Reifoldt,” “Reiffel,” “Reiffeldt,” “Ryfelt” and “Ryffell.”
No matter what the spelling, variants of the surname Riefel all trace back to its common origin—the Upper Rhineland of Germany.
Famous people with the name Riefel
- Paul Reiffel: Australian cricket player
- Seth Rieffel: American soccer player
- Mathias Riefel: German visual artist
- Johann Reinhold von Riefel: Baltic German general
- Marc Riefel: French music composer
- Chris Riefel: American football player
- Ryan Riefel: American basketball player
- Carl Riefel: American painter
- Hilmar Riefel: German bass-baritone singer
- Albert E. Riefel: American fighter pilot