Reither History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The Reither surname is derived from the Middle High German word "rîter," which means "horseback rider" or "knight." It is thus likely that the first people to adopt this as a surname were either knights or descendants of knights.

Early Origins of the Reither family

The surname Reither was first found in Austria, where this family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Chronicles first mention Johann and Heinrich Riter of Ravensberg in 1326, Joerg Reiterer of Tirol in 1538, and Nicolaus Reyterer of Bruenn in 1365. The literal meaning of the word is "horseman," and is also related to the word "Ritter" which means "knight." Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Reither family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reither research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1792 is included under the topic Early Reither History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reither Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Reiter, Reitter, Reither, Reitther, Reitterer, Reiter, Reiterer, Reyterer, Reyter, Reitel and many more.

Early Notables of the Reither family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Reither Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reither migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Reither Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

J. Erich Reither, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1753
John Erich Reither, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 1

Reither Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Franz Reither, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 1
Philip H Reither, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1856 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Reither (post 1700) +

Fred W. Reither, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1960 2

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html