Surname Dostler - Meaning and Origin
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Dostler: What does the surname Dostler mean?
The surname Dostler is a German name derived from the old Germanic personal name "Dosto". This name was the metronymic name derived from the honorific title “dost”, which was a form of “foster brother” or “friend”. This was an appellation of endearment used to denote very close friends.
The Dostlers likely first emerged in the German region of Bavaria and the German-speaking Canton of Geneva in Switzerland. As the name became more established, branches of the family are found in a variety of places across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Variations in spelling, such as Döstler, Dueßler, Tostler, and Düstler, attest to the migratory nature of the family and the dialectical differences between regions.
The Dostler family tree was first documented in the year 1280 A.D. in Memmingen, Bavaria. During the 16th and 17th centuries, members of the family served with distinction in the Regiments of noblemen from Bavaria. It is believed that the family first emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century.
Today, descendants of the Dostler family are found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. The Dostler name is still carried on by many generations of the family to this day, and its meaning—friend, beloved, and loyal one—remains unchanged.
Order DNA origin analysisDostler: Where does the name Dostler come from?
The last name Dostler is most commonly found in the German-speaking regions of Europe such as Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. The surname is also seen throughout the United States, but is not as common.
According to the website Ancestry.com, Dostler is a German surname that derives from a Middle High German name for a maker of leather goods – the German word ‘doster,’ which means ‘tanned skin.’ The surname has several variants, including Doster, Dostel, Döstel, and Doestler.
The current population of the Germanic regions of Europe is estimated to be around 107 million people. The surname Dostler is recorded as being present in Germany for more than five centuries.
In the United States, the percentage of people who have the last name Dostler is much lower than the Germanic regions of Europe. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the surname Dostler was present in less than 0.01% of the population. However, the surname is still quite common throughout the United States, with an estimated 37,258 people having the surname.
Overall, the last name Dostler is most commonly found in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in Germany and Austria. It is also quite common in the United States, although it is much less prevalent than in Europe.
Variations of the surname Dostler
The surname Dostler is an occupational surname of German origin and refers to a innkeeper, hosteler or tavern keeper. It is derived from the Middle High German word "dôsteler", which meant "tavern keeper". Variants of the name include Döstler, Dosteler, Dostal, Döstling, Dostl, Dastl, Döstel, Degast, Degastl and Degastel.
The spelling of the name tends to vary from region to region, reflecting the various dialects of German. In some cases, the name may be spelled as Doestler, Destler, Döstler or Düsterl. Other common alternate forms of the surname include Tostler and Tosteler.
The surname has spread widely throughout Europe, with forms of the surname making its way as far afield as North America, with the first known record of the surname in the United States appearing in the passenger manifest of the Worchester, which arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the year 1770.
In the present day, the surname is especially common in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, although some have also adopted the name elsewhere in the world. Common surnames associated with the Dostler name include Dostmann, Doster, Ostling, Ostloh, Ostler, Ostloff, Ostlou, Ostler, Ostolf and Osterloh.
Famous people with the name Dostler
- Arthur Dostler: One of the most prominent Dostlers is German Field Marshal Arthur Dostler, a senior military officer during World War II. He was implicated in war crimes and executed in 1945 as one of the last of the Nuremberg Trials.
- Fritz Dostler: Another famous Dostler is German General Fritz Dostler, a general in the Wehrmacht. He was responsible for the Ardeatine massacre of 1944, for which he was later tried and executed.
- Adolf Dostler: Adolf Dostler was a general in the German Army during World War II. In 1945, he was convicted of war crimes for ordering the execution of15 U.S. soldiers and sentenced to death by firing squad.
- Albert Dostler: Albert Dostler was a German senior military officer who served in WWI and WWII. He was convicted of war crimes against prisoners of war and sentenced to death by a U.S. military tribunal in 1945.
- Georg Dostler: General Georg Dostler was a German General during World War II. He was convicted of war crimes for ordering the execution of British Commandos in 1944 and sentenced to death by a British military tribunal.
- Gustav Dostler: Gustav Dostler was a German general during World War I. He was sentenced to death by a French military court in 1915 for his involvement in the execution of two French officers.
- Hermann Dostler: Hermann Dostler was a German general during World War II. He was convicted of war crimes for ordering the execution of Italian Partisans in 1944 and was executed by a U.S. military tribunal in 1945.
- Paul Dostler: Paul Dostler was a German military officer during World War II. He was convicted of war crimes for his involvement in the execution of Allied POWs in 1944 and sentenced to death by a U.S. military tribunal.