Dreher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The distinguished surname Dreher is of German origin. The name is derived from the Old Germanic word "Dreier," literally meaning "a group of three," which generally referred to a local committee made up of three people which passed laws for the local townships; it is likely that the progenitor of the name was a member of such a group. Alternatively, the name may be derived from "Dreher," meaning "lathe-hand or turner"; in this instance, the name would have been originally borne by a practitioner of this profession.

Early Origins of the Dreher family

The surname Dreher was first found in Bavaria, where the name was closely identified in early medieval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. The origins of the name make it likely that several branches of the family emerged independently during this early period. The first known bearer of the name was L. Dreghere, who lived in Hannover in 1348.

Early History of the Dreher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dreher research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1610, 1688 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Dreher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dreher Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dreyer, Dreier, Dreigher, Dreger, Dreher, Driggs, Dreiger and many more.

Early Notables of the Dreher family

Prominent among members of the name Dreher in this period include

Christian Dreier (1610-1688), a theologian from Pomerania, Johann Benjamin Dreier (c.1789), a well-known painter, and the Dreher family of Nuremburg

Dreher Ranking

In the United States, the name Dreher is the 6,129^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Dreher migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dreher Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Dreher, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1738
Johann Dreher, who arrived in America in 1738 2
David Dreher, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 2
Maria Magdalena Dreher, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 2
Godfrey Dreher, who landed in South Carolina in 1747 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dreher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jakob Dreher, who arrived in Brazil in 1825 2
Andrew Dreher, who arrived in Maryland in 1836 2
Johann Wilh Dreher, who landed in North America in 1843 2
Johannes Dreher, who arrived in North America in 1846 2
Anna Elisabeth Dreher, who landed in North America in 1846 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dreher (post 1700) +

Aristotle Dreher, American artist, songwriter, musician, and occasional actor
Rod Dreher (b. 1967), American writer and editor
Peter Dreher (1932-2020), German artist, born in Mannheim, Germany
Uwe Dreher (1960-2016), German footballer, member of the West Germany National Team in 1980
Axel Dreher (b. 1972), German economist
Michael Dreher (b. 1974), German Film director and Screenplay writer
Claudia Dreher (b. 1971), female long-distance runner from Germany
Christoph Dreher (b. 1952), German filmmaker, musician and scriptwriter
Bernd Dreher (b. 1966), German former football player
Mr. Derek Dreher M.B.E., British Records Sensitivity Reviewer for Northern Ireland Office, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Information Management 3
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists