REHM
Rehm is a surname of German origin. It derives from the Middle High German word reh, meaning “roe deer”. Consequently, the name was probably first employed as a nicknaming device for a person who hunted roe deer or who worked with them, or as a descriptive epithet for someone who displayed the animal’s reputed agility or grace.
In some instances the surname may have arisen from the occupational name Riemer, also seen as Rieme and Riehm, and from the Low German and Flemish forms Re(h)mer and Rehm(e). These denote a maker of leather reins or related articles, a meaning ultimately derived from the Middle High German *rieme(n)*, a strap or belt. A further possibility is that Rehm is a Germanised form of the French medieval given name Remy, itself a combination of the Latin names Remigius (“oarsman”) and Remedius (“healer”).
The surname was brought into England from Germany and Flanders by clothworkers during the fourteenth century. In the parish registers of Norfolk it appears in the sixteenth century as Reme, Reime, Rheme and finally as Rehm. The earliest surviving spelling is that of Margaryt Reme, christened on 19th May 1560 at St. Michael Coslany in Norwich, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the First.
Geographically, Rehm is most common in Germany, particularly in the Rhineland, where it is linked to the Rhineland-Palatinate, the Eifel and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is also found in Lower Saxony and in small towns of Silesia. In the United States the name has been recorded since the early nineteenth century, with concentrations in Pennsylvania, especially in the counties of Lancaster and Berks, and in Ohio, Maryland, Indiana and Michigan. In Canada the name is rare and is mainly seen in Ontario. In South America it is predominantly concentrated in Brazil. Across these nations the surname remains recognisable, although it is no longer among the most frequent German surnames.
The name has several accepted variants that share its origin and meaning. These include Reim, Rehme, Reimes, Rehms, Reimers, Rehmke, Reahm, Rehman, Rehmann, Rehmer and Rehmeier. Generally Reim and Rehme are the most common. While some variations such as Rehms have historically served as patronymic forms, they are less common today. Nevertheless, all variants maintain the same fundamental connotations linked to their Germanic roots.
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Rehm in...
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There are approximately 69 people named Rehm in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Rehm.
