Derivation and meaning of the Lohmeyer surname

(Auf Deutsch )

The surname LOHMEYER is a composite of two words: 'loh-' and '-meyer'.

LOH- The word stem 'loh' has a number of possible meanings. 1) A 'loh' or 'lohe' in early German means forest, specifically a stand of young oak or a forest parcel given to a specific individual for hunting, trapping or the collection of wood, bark & food.  All across Germany, the word 'lohe' is still found in many topographical names which still clearly retain their association with the primeval forests of the time. Examples in Eastern Westphalia include Gütersloh, Ebbesloh, Loholz, and villages Lohe, Lohfeld, Lohhof and Lohkamp in the Minden district. Near Bünde lies Loh, Ennigloh and Osterloh, etc.
2) The prefix 'Loh' or 'Loer' also frequently relates to the occupation of tanner and survives to day in a range of surnames, such as Lohmann, Loerpabel, Ubbeloer, Obloh, Oblau, etc. A traditional tanning process uses oak bark to tan leather and a tanner ('Gerber' in German) using that particular process was also known as a 'Lohgerber'.

-MEYER The surname MEYER derives from the latin 'major' (superior) and was originally a special term reserved for the village headman or steward.  As the landowner's principal tenant, the Meyer had reporting and administrative obligations to the local landowner, often including the collection of dues and the organisation of the mandatory work parties ('Hand und Spanndienste') for the landlord.  The position was akin to the English role of 'steward' or 'bailiff' and the French 'maire'.  With time, use of the surname MEYER became more widespread and its meaning changed to denote tenant farmers more generally.  Prefixes were added to distinguish between different farming families and names ending in  -meyer or -meier became very common. Examples include Lohmeyer, Hemeier, Obermeier, Niemeyer, Bökemeier, etc. In some districts, the surname MEIER was used particularly in the context of dairy farming.

Meaning
The family name Lohmeyer therefore can have a variety of meanings:
1) The 'Meyer van de Loh', 'Lohes Meyer' or 'Lohmeyer' was the farmer whose farm was located near or by a stand of oaks or close to the forest; or
2) The name 'Lohmeyer' might denote a farmer who was also the local tanner (often, tenant farmers on small plots would also engage in a trade to supplement their income); or
3) The name could perhaps denote a dairy farming family living close to the forest or having grazing rights over a particular part of the forest.

My ancestors trace their roots back to the 'Lohne', an elevated stand of trees, near Veltheim, where the oldest surviving church book records the following name variants: Lohmeijer, Lohes Meyer, Lohes, Lohns, Lohnsmeyer, Lohmeier, Lohmeyer and a number of others.

For a list of the different Lohmeyer families and their distribution in Germany, read on.