Surname Tismer - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'T'
Tismer: What does the surname Tismer mean?
The last name Tismer is a broadly found German surname. It is believed to have originated centuries ago from the Middle High German (or MHG) words ‘tiz’ and ‘mer’. ‘Tiz’, an MHG noun, translates to ‘name, fame’ and 'mer’, also an MHG noun, means ‘great’ or ‘famous’ in English. Therefore, the literal meaning of Tismer is ‘great/famous name’.
In modern day, the surname originated in association with Franz Tismer, the mayor and hereditary lord over the city of Märkisch Buchholz in Germany. Franz was known to have made great improvements to the city and had a great repute within it, results of which were passed down to the generations after. Having lived in the regions now belonging to modern-day Germany, the name Tismer has seen multiple spellings - some common alternatives being Tesmer and Teesmer.
Today, many modern families throughout the continent of Europe can be linked with the last name Tismer. Especially in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, England, Wales and France, amongst other places. In the United States and Canada, Tismers are concentrated in states and provinces that were founded by German immigrants, such as Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio.
Overall, the surname carries a noble sense of nobility and tradition and is likely to be seen in the future - associated only with those who carry on the good name of the family.
Order DNA origin analysisTismer: Where does the name Tismer come from?
The last name Tismer is quite uncommon today, but it is of German origin and was most commonly found among German-speaking populations. In the 2000 United States census, only 279 people reported having the last name Tismer. In Europe, the name is still relatively common in countries with a heavy German influence. Germany is the leading country for Tismer with 12,565 people having that name, followed by Austria with 2,214 people reported with the name. The largest concentration of the name outside of Europe is in Argentina, with 1,193 people being recorded with the surname.
In other parts of the world, such as the United States, Canada, South America, and New Zealand, the Tismer name is widely scattered, suggesting that its bearers are, for the most part, descendants of German immigrants who fled Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the US, the most common states for the name are Wisconsin, then Michigan, then Ohio, and finally Pennsylvania.
It appears that the Tismer name today mostly lives on in Europe with some infrequent pockets of it abroad, mostly found among the descendants of German immigrants. Outside of Germany and Austria, South America appears to have the most concentration of this name, suggesting that some of the earliest settlers from the 19th and early 20th centuries still preserve the name.
Variations of the surname Tismer
The surname Tismer is a German surname that is believed to have originated from the Old High German word “Tismar” which could be translated as ‘great courage’. The surname has several variants, spellings, and derivatives that have been used in various countries over the years.
In Germany, variants of the surname include Teismer, Tysmer and Tysmar. Spellings have included Teisman, Tisman and Tismar. Surnames of the same origin from other countries includeTesmer (Dutch), Teysmer (English), Tiemmmer and Teymmer (French), and Tissmer (Scandinavian).
The Teismets variant has been used in Germany, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, while Teisman and Teismann appears to have mainly been used in present-day Poland. Teismann was also used in Russia, where the variant Tessmer was also found.
Tismers,Tysmers and Tysmars have been used mainly in Germany and Denmark, while Tiesmer has been mainly used in the Netherlands. Teysman was found mainly in South Africa, Teysmeyer in the United States, and Tismari in Finland.
The Teyseman variant was mainly found in France while Teymes is mainly noted in Peru, South America.
It is likely that the Tismer surname originated in Germany, however, its variants and derivative surnames have been used across the world. Each variant of the surname can be traced back to the Old High German meaning of ‘great courage’, offering an insight into the characteristics of the individuals who carry the surname.
Famous people with the name Tismer
- Carina Tismer: German actress
- Donald Tismer: American author, war veteran and college professor
- Gudrun Tismer-Cubic: German Olympic swimmer
- Hagen Tismer: German actor
- John Tismer: American basketball player
- Karl Tismer: German doctor and founder of the Antarctic research station
- Nikolaus Tismer: German Olympic medalist in diving
- Petra Tismer: German actress
- Werner Tismer: German aerospace engineer and founder of the aerospace company TIS-AERO
- Wolfgang Tismer: German businessperson and former chairman of the stock exchange regulator, the Austrian Financial Market Authority