As
the origin of the family name Rittmeier or Rittmeyer family names like Riedmayer, Riedmeier, Riethmayer und Rietmeyer as well as
Rittmeister
are often mentioned. In light of the research findings, the version
Riedmayer, Riedmeier, Riethmayer and Rietmeyer seems a more likely
version while
there is no case known where the surname Rittmeier or Rittmeyer has
developed from the surname Rittmeister. For the version Riedmayer,
Riedmeier, Riethmayer and Rietmeyer there is at least evidence from
regions / locations such as Wingerode and Steinbach (Eichsfeld in
Thüringen), Memmingen (Bayern), Lüchow (Niedersachsen)
and Beckum (NRW), where this name changes
were detected.
During our Family research the following variants of the family name
Rittmeyer have been detected (sorted alphabetically without ranking by
frequency):
"...Rethmeier,
Reitemeyer, Reitmeier, Reitmeyer, Reitemeier, Retmaier, Retmeier,
Retmeyer, Rettmaier, Rettmeier, Rettmeir, Ridmaier, Ridmeyer, Ridtmair,
Riedmaier, Riedmair, Riedmajer, Riedmayer, Riedmayr, Riedmeier,
Riedmeyer, Riedmeyr, Riedtmaier, Riedtmair, Riedtmayer, Riedtmayr,
Riedtmaier, Riedtmeyer, Riethmair, Riethmayer, Riethmayr, Riethmeyer,
Rietmaier, Rietmair,
Rietmajer, Rietmayer, Rietmayr, Rietmeier, Rietmeyer, Rietmeyr,
Riettmaier, Riettmair, Riettmayer, Riettmeyer, Rithmaier, Rithmayer,
Rithmeier, Rithmeyer, Ritmeyer, Ritmeier, Rittmaier, Rittmair,
Rittmayer, Rittmayr, Rittmeier, Rittmeir und Rittmeyer...."
Particularly serious are different name variants in Memmingen. In Memmingen, the marriage of
an Oswald Rietmair
from Aichstetten near Leutkirch in Württemberg was first
recognized in 1566. This name variant developed among its descendants
for centuries to name variants such as Ridtmair, Riedmaier,
Riedmair, Riedmayer, Riedmayer, Riedmayr, Riedmeier, Riedmeyer,
Riedmeyr, Riedtmaier, Riedtmair, Riedtmayer, Riedtmayr, Riedtmaier,
Riethmair, Riethmayr, Riethmeyer, Rietmaier, Rietmair, Rietmajer,
Rietmayer, Rietmayr, Rietmeier, Rietmeyer , Riettmaier, Riettmair,
Rietmayer, Rithmaier, Rithmayer, Rithmeyer, Rittmaier, Rittmayr, and
Rittmeier, before finally changing into the remaining variants of the
name Riethmayer,
Rittmayer
and Rittmeyer.
Descendants with the name variant Riethmayer and Rittmayer remained
predominantly in the region Memmingen, while the descendants with the
name variant Rittmeyer have settled over Lindau (Bodensee) in Switzerland (for example
St. Gallen) and England (for example Greater London). The first entry
with the surname RITTMEYER
could only be ascertained on May 6, 1811 on the occasion of the birth
of Elisa Regina Rittmeyer in LINDAU and RITTMAYER on 20
April 1862 on the occasion of the birth of Georg Rittmayer in MEMMINGEN.
A logic for these name changes is simply not recognizable. The reason
for this is often assumed to be that the name bearers used to be
frequently unable to write or read in the past. On the other hand,
however, speaks that the church clerks could very well write and read.
And in the present example, the church book entries were made for
centuries only in one church, the Church of St. Martin in
Memmingen. From this one could also draw the conclusion that the
surname was deliberately varied in order to distinguish between the
individual lines
and branches
of the families, as a rule in Memmingen all male descendants received
only one first name such as Sebastian, Johann or Oswald and therefore
only by varying the surname distinctions between the multitude of lines
were possible.
Version 1:
Family names such as Riedmayer,
Riedmeier
and Rietmeyer represent a combination out of
the landscape feature "Ried"
and the profession "Meier".
Reeds (Ried) is
aboveground vegetation (free reed) which may be found in marshes and swamps. Further, it
may be a field name for clearing
areas. Especially often does the name Ried occur in place
names in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, in Austria and
Switzerland.
The surname Meier and variants such as Meyer, Maier, Mayer and Mayr
come from the latin word "Major"
and designate originally an officer of noble or ecclesiastical
landlords to manage the estates, from the later Middle Ages also
landholder or independent farmers. The Meier operated for the landlord
himself a farm, the “Fronhof”. He oversaw the serfs
(villici) which operated the small farms (called Hufen or Huben)
subordinated to a “Fronhof” and he conceded from
the serfs the taxes for the landlord. He was in the rule responsible
for the manorial jurisdiction and the Lex familiae (forced labor). In
the course of this development, payments in kind were often converted
by the landlord in a fixed, annual money income and the status of the
Meier often changed from a land agent to a landholder. The estate was
then
called “Meierhof”
or “Meiergut” (Kolonat). From this farm work and
position designation, the surname “Meier” was
constituted with ist orthographic variants.
It can be concluded that the ancestors of the Rittmeiers /
Rittmeyers were landholder, who had their
“Meierhof” in marshes and swamps with reeds and
changed their status from selfs into independent farmers.
Version 2:
The surname Rittmeister
is a professional designation and is a historical grade designation for
cavalry officers
in Germany and Austria. The rank is equivalent to that of a captain.
The theory that perhaps in some cases the name Rittmeister could have
changed by deleting the letters "st"
to Rittmeier is not confirmed after the analysis of approximately 3,000
people with the surname Rittmeier or Rittmeyer. There is not one case
where the surname Rittmeier or Rittmeyer has developed from the surname
Rittmeister. In this case, the development of the name would also be
reversed. Name variants like Rittmeyer, Rittmayer and Rittmaier would
have been developed at the earliest in late middle age from the surname
Rittmeister to Rittmeier, but this was actually reversed the
case. The spellings Rittmeier, Rittmeyer, Rittmayer or Rittmaier were
usually a question of regional origin and occurred already in many
regions before the 17th century.
Overall
assessment: With this evaluation, it can be seen as
certain that surnames such as RITTMEYER, RITTMEIER, RITTMAYER and
RITTMAIER are a further
development of the word trunks of the landscape feature "Ried" and the
profession "Meier".
A derivation - as often assumed - of "RITTMEISTER" can thus be
definitively ruled out, since more than 5,000 documented persons did
not recognize a derivative of Rittmeister.
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