Family Name History

It was not until the early Middle Ages that surnames were first used to distinguish between persons hearing the same first name. With the growth of both documentation and of population size in the later Middle Ages, these surnames became essential and usually fell into one of four categories: those derived from the forename of the bearer's father, those derived from the bearer's trade, his nickname or, as in this case, the place of residence. The German surname Aldinger may thus be termed a hoponymic surname in origin, and the surname comes from the place name Aldingen. The original bearer of the name would have resided at Aldingen. The place name is that of two parishes in Württemberg region of Germany. The one with the greater importance - Aldingen / Neckar between Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg - was named in eldest records Allmendingen, what comes from Allmende, an old word that means common area which can be used to by all citizens of the parish. This is the result of a researching of Mr. Theiner, main archives of Remseck, to which Aldingen nowadays belongs.

Early documentation of this surname dates back in the fourteenth century when one Bercholt der Aldinger was a resident of Hochdorf in Vaihingen. His name is recorded in the Württembergische Vierteljahreshefte für Landesgeschichte in 1344. In 1347 one Bentz der Aldinger of Esslingen can be found in the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Esslingen. The surname is also found in early records as Altinger. One coat of arms was awarded to one Konrad Aldinger of Esslingen by Emperor Charles V. in March 1524. Konrad was secretary to the Emperor.

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