Show ContentsLindner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Lindner

What does the name Lindner mean?

The name Lindner comes from the Rhineland, an ancient region of Germany. In pre-medieval times, the Germans used only one name, but later they were forced by a growing population to adopt hereditary surnames; so as to remain distinct from the many others of the same first name. Local names were often chosen. They originally indicated land ownership, and frequently carried the prefix von, meaning "of" or "from," which is often taken as an indication of aristocratic lineage. Lindner was a name for some one lived beside a grove of lime trees. The family name Lindner is derived from the German word linde, which means lime tree. The original bearer was named for his proximity to a hill crowned by lime trees.

Early Origins of the Lindner family

The surname Lindner was first found in the Lower Rhine, where this family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Chronicles first mention Henczel unter der lynden of Freiberg (Saxony) in 1383, Hannus von der Linde in 1440, Jacob Lindner of Tirol in 1348, Johann van Lynder of the lower Rhine in 1528, and Hermann Lindeman of Hanover in 1335. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as they emerged to form alliances with other families within the feudal system.

Early History of the Lindner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lindner research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1562, 1563, 1650, 1705, 1760, 1836, 1842, 1852, 1873, 1934, 1938 and 1939 are included under the topic Early Lindner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lindner Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Lindner include Linde, Linden Linder, Lindner, Lindener and others.

Early Notables of the Lindner family

Notables with the name Lindner during this period were Michael Lindener (1520-1562), who was a strolling scholar and schoolmaster in Nuremberg, Ulm, and Augsburg, where he was finally executed for murder. Otto zur Linde (1873-1938) was a...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lindner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lindner Ranking

In the United States, the name Lindner is the 5,534th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Lindner migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Lindner were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Lindner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Christian Lindner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 2
  • Andreas Lindner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
  • Egydius Lindner, who landed in America in 1782 2
Lindner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Maria Lindner, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 2
  • Johann Sam'l Lindner, aged 36, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 2
  • Frederick Lindner, who arrived in Maryland in 1844 2
  • Barbara Lindner, who landed in America in 1845 2
  • C F W Lindner, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lindner (post 1700) +

  • Carl Henry Lindner Jr. (1919-2011), American businessman, ranked the world's 133 richest man worth an estimated 2.3 billion by Forbes Magazine in 2006
  • Richard G. Lindner (b. 1954), American Chief Financial Officer and a Senior Executive Vice President of AT&T Inc
  • Richard Lindner (1901-1978), German-born, American painter
  • Gerhard Lindner (b. 1930), East German Ambassador to Australia (1977-81) and to the U.K. (1984-)
  • Katharina "Kat" Lindner (b. 1979), German former female footballer who played from 1996 to 2011
  • Dieter Lindner (b. 1939), German former football player who played from 1959 to 1971
  • Matthias Lindner (b. 1965), German former football defender who played from 1972 to 2000, member of the East Germany National team (1987-1990)
  • Erwin Lindner (1888-1988), German entomologist
  • Walter Lindner, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 64 aerial victories
  • Anton Lindner, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 73 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Willy Lindner (1920-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3
  • Heinz Lindner (1920-1941), German Maschinengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3
  • Johann Lindner (1922-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3


Suggested Readings for the name Lindner +

  • The Lindner & McCarthy Families of Hoboken, Newark, and Elizabethport, New Jersey by Florence Lindner McCarthy.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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