Surname Degener - Meaning and Origin
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Degener: What does the surname Degener mean?
The last name Degener is a German surname that originated in an area known historically as German Saxony. It is derived from the German word “degener” which means transformed or changed. During the Middle Ages, a person with the Degener surname typically originated from a lower socioeconomic status, working as a laborer or a craftsman.
Over time, the Degener surname was adopted by those from a variety of backgrounds and is found among both lower and higher classes today. The Degener surname has been known to exist in northern Europe and is very common in German-speaking countries.
In some instances, the Degener surname would be adopted by individuals that experienced a change in social status, such as a servant rising to a higher position. It is also believed that the Degener surname was sometimes taken on as part of a conversion to Christianity, indicating a profound change in belief and life path.
The Degener surname has many possible origins, all of which point to a change or transformation. Whether it is a change in social status, a conversion to Christianity, or some other life event, the Degener surname is a marker of just how much one’s life can change over time.
Order DNA origin analysisDegener: Where does the name Degener come from?
The last name Degener is believed to originate from a few different locations. The largest group of people with the surname Degener are of German descent. The name is most common in Germany and in areas of Germany associated with the original homeland of the Degener family such as Saxony, Prussia, and Westphalia. There is also a significant population of people with this surname in the United States. In the US, the Degener family is most common in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Ohio as well as the states around the Great Lakes area.
The Degener surname also appears sporadically in other countries around the world, suggesting a global migration of the family over various generations. There is a small presence of the Degener family in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Central and South America.
The Degener surname was recorded in Europe as early as 1300, with the first recorded use of the name in Germany in 1614. Over time, the population with the surname Degener has grown, and today the surname is quite common throughout the world, particularly in Germany and the United States.
Variations of the surname Degener
The surname Degener is a name found in many different countries from across the world and region. It can have many spellings and variants depending on the country, language, and origin of the family line.
Common variants of the name Degener include Degener, Deggener, Deggener, Teggener, Degner, Tegner, Degen, Tegern, and Degener. The name is thought to derive from Germanic language root words and was originally used as a location-based surname to denote individuals who were from the same town or region.
In addition to the variants listed above, people with the Degener surname may also be called Denger, Denegar, Degenhart, Degnerd, Deninger, Denigeren, Degennert, or Degennard. It is possible to trace a particular family tree using the multiple spellings of the Degener surname.
The Degener surname can also be seen in various ancestral lines such as English, Dutch, German or French. Many of these family lines moved frequently and the surname was adapted from one to the next, with people in the North American colonies also adopting the name with slight variants such as Dinger, Dingerly, and Dingerson.
In some cases, the Degener name may also be spelled differently due to different languages and customs, such as the alternative proper names Degens, Dagen, or Deegen in Dutch, and Degener in French.
In conclusion, the surname Degener can take on many different forms depending on the country and language of origin. These forms can include Degener, Deggener, Degner, Tegner, Degen, Tegern, and Degener, as well as many other variants including Denger, Denegar, Degenhart, Degnerd, Deninger, Denigeren, Degennert, Degennard, Degens, Dagen, and Deegen.
Famous people with the name Degener
- Max Degener: German composer and music educator.
- Milton Degener: American football player and coach in the National Football League.
- Florian Degener: German painter.
- Hermann Degener: German entomologist and explorer.
- Wolfgang Degener: German paleontologist and geologist.
- Theodor Degener: German entomologist, seismologist, and naturalist.
- Charles Degener: Swiss-American painter.
- Lyonel Degener: German American artist and filmmaker.
- Irvin Degener: American electrical engineer and inventor.
- Richard Degener: German photographer and environmentalist.
- Karl Degener: German pediatrician.
- Ike Degener: American amateur ice hockey champion.
- Gottfried Degener: German mathematician and educationist.
- Andreas Degener: German entomologist and arachnologist.
- Christian Degener: German astronomer and cartographer.
- Simon Degener: Swiss theologian and historian.
- Daniel Degener: German lawyer and jurist.
- Paul Degener: German physician and poet.
- Arnold Degener: German mineralogist and geologist.
- Melesina Degener: German genealogist and historian.