I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on names, but I do speak a little German, and the internet is full of interesting information. Most of you probably know that “Sommer” is German for “Summer”. So far, so good, but why would you call someone that?
This Website points out that adding an extra “er” on to a German word signified one of two things. Either it was appended to a place name (a city, town, castle or geographical feature) to indicate that you were from that place or it was appended to indicate an occupation:
Surnames which are derived from a trade, profession, or occupation, or some product or tool distinctly associated with a particular craft, for example: Amtsmann (official), Bauer (farmer/peasant), Beck/Becker (bake/baker), Deck/Decker (roof/roofer), Ferderer/Föderer (plaintiff), Fitterer (feeder/provides fodder), Germann (spear + man), Hellmann (warrior), Kessel (kettle), Koch (cook), Nagel (nail/peg), Schröder (tailor), Zander (Alexander/tooth extractor), Zentner (tithe/tax collector), Zimmermann (carpenter/finish carpenter), etc.
It goes on to point out that the double “erer” ending could indicate someone who was apprenticed to someone from a certain place or trade.
This Website actually jumps right to the meaning of Sommerer:
German (Austria): variant of Sommer, a nickname for a summer tenant or a worker hired for the summer.
But I don’t know how reliable that is. It is the internet.
Naomi Vetter says
Vetter means “cousin” in German. I wonder whose cousin the ancestors of the Vetters were. Vetter is pronounced “Fetter” in German. I wonder if taking the name of your occupation was the only way they chose names back then. How clever!
Aunt Lolly says
When I was young, I dated a fine young man with the last name of, Winter! To go from summer to winter would have been different I guess. ha
Jane says
Lloyd says. so I only had to work during the summer? why didn’ t someone tell me when I was young.
Aunt Lolly says
We sure got taken! didn’t we? ha