Surname Reissinger - Meaning and Origin

Reissinger: What does the surname Reissinger mean?

The last name Reissinger is a Germanic name which likely originated in the early Middle Ages. It is most commonly found in southwestern Germany and Austria. The name is derived from the Middle High German terms ‘rizzin’, meaning ‘strong’ or ‘mighty’, and ‘smi-’ or ‘sen-’, meaning ‘son of’. Thus, the name can be translated to mean ‘son of the mighty one’.

Reissinger has several variants, including Reisinger, Rissinger, Reisinger, Reysinger, Reising, Reysing, Ressinger, Rissing, Reesing, Resinger, and Riesinger. This suggests it was used as a surname in multiple European languages, which could explain its broad distribution today, with families having the name in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, and parts of the United States.

Reissinger is an occupational name, likely originally referring to an ancestor who was a strong warrior or leader. Since its emergence in the Middle Ages, the name has probably been borne by many influential individuals, and today its holders are likely to be proud of the strong legacy associated with the name.

Reissinger: Where does the name Reissinger come from?

The last name Reissinger is most commonly found in Germany, especially in Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg. However, the surname is also found in other parts of Europe, such as parts of Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. It is believed that the surname originated in Bavaria, likely in the 12th or 13th century. Since then, many families with this name have migrated to other regions of Europe.

In the United States, the Reissinger surname is not as common. It can be found mainly in Pennsylvania, where many German immigrants (including those with the Reissinger last name) settled in the past. There are also some members of this name located in other parts of the United States, such as California, Ohio, and Michigan.

In Canada, the surname is not so common, but there have been people with this last name that have settled there. It is mostly located in Ontario, where there is a larger German immigrant population.

Today, the surname Reissinger is still popular in Germany, Austria,and other parts of Europe, but you will not likely find a high population of it in other countries.

Variations of the surname Reissinger

Reissinger is a surname of German origin. Common variants, spellings and associated surnames include Reisinger, Reising, Reisinger, Reisenger, Reisninger, Reisner, Riesinger, Risenger, Riesing, and Riesinger.

Reissinger is a surname derived from the Low German term ‘Reyse’, which translates to traveler or wanderer, in addition to ‘inger’ a term denoting one from a certain place. Therefore, the name Reissinger literally means "one from Reise". During the 17th century, the Reissinger surname began to spread through the Rhineland region and eventually to other parts of Germany.

Along with the original spelling, ‘Reissinger’ there are some common variants of this surname; such as Reisinger, which is an altered form of the original surname. The spelling Reising is also a variant of Reissinger in which the double S is replaced with a single S. Other variants of ‘Reissinger’ include Reisenger, Reisninger, Reisner, Riesinger, Risenger, Riesing, and Riesinger.

Over the years, numerous Reissingers have spread to places outside of Germany such as the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Today, the Reissinger surname can be found in many parts of the world, with Reissingers around the globe representing a variety of cultures and backgrounds.

Famous people with the name Reissinger

• Franz Reissinger (born 1972), former Austrian slalom canoeist
• Hubertus Reissner (1940–2016), German politician
• Rolf Reissinger (born 1941), German physician and medical researcher
• Frank Reissinger (born 1977), Austrian professional football player
• Adolf Reissinger (1898–1980), German photographer
• Dorit Reissinger (born 1954), German gymnast
• Heinz Reissinger (1922–1996), German sports shooter
• Rosa Reissinger (1909–1956), German opera singer
• Michelle Reissinger (born 1952), American professional harpist
• Max Reissinger (1917–2003), Austrian-American electrical engineer

Other surnames

Reissing