Reitter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

The Reitter 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 Reitter family

The surname Reitter 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 Reitter family

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

Reitter 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 Reitter family

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

Reitter migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Reitter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Caul Reitter, who arrived in Georgia sometime between 1733 and 1783
Michael Reitter, who arrived in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1749 1

Reitter Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Reitter, who settled in Philadelphia in 1860
Jeremia Reitter, who settled in Oregon in 1892

Contemporary Notables of the name Reitter (post 1700) +

Edmund Reitter (1845-1920), Moravia-born Austrian-German entomologist, writer, collector, beetle expert
Hildegard Reitter (b. 1936), Austrian gymnast who competed in six events at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Ferenc Reitter (1813-1874), Hungarian architect and engineer credited with constructing several landmarks in Budapest
Edmund Reitter (1904-2005), Austrian sculptor

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)