Reiter Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Reiter last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Reiter last name
Meaning of the Reiter last name: "rider" or "one from a clearing". Reiter is a German surname for a rider or mounted soldier, from Middle High German rītære, or for someone living on a reute, a forest clearing. The clearing meaning is common in the Alps. The last name is very common in Austria and Bavaria.
Arms associated with the Reiter name
In German towns craftsmen used coats of arms too, and heraldry associated with Reiter grew in that world.
Get your full Reiter family history
This is only a glimpse of the Reiter story. The full Reiter history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Reiter coat of arms. Get the full Reiter report.
Reiter name FAQ
What does the Reiter name mean?
"rider" or "one from a clearing". Common variants include Reuter, Ritter.
Where does the Reiter surname come from?
It originates in Austria, and is also found in Germany, Switzerland and the United States.
Is there a Reiter coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Reiter coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).