(cache)Was Hitler a common family name before 1945? What did Hitlers change their names to after the second world war? | Notes and Queries

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YESTERYEAR

Was Hitler a common family name before 1945? What did Hitlers change their names to after the second world war?

John Burton, O'Connor, Australia

Hitler is not a particularly common German surname. In fact, Hitler himself was originally called Schicklegruber. Some have speculated that he changed his name to hide his Jewish descent.
Matt James, Sheffield, UK

Adolf Hitler was never called Schickelgruber. This was the name of his paternal grandmother. His father took the name of his supposed father, which was spelled Hiedler or Hitler according to preference, when he was 40, well before Adolf was born. Adolf Hitler had three surviving siblings. His half-brother Alois lived in Liverpool and had a son called William Patrick, who died in 1987. He changed his name and lived in the USA. He is believed to have left 4 sons, who have decided not to have children in order not to perpetuate the line. His sister Paula never married and had no children. She was known as Paula Wolf for a lot of her life. His half sister Angela married and had a daughter, Geli Raubal, who died in 1930. I believe there was also a son Leo Raubal who died in action in 1942. It is unlikely that the story of Adolf Hitler's father being half Jewish is true. But since Anna Maria Schickelgruber died when her son was 5 years old no one will ever know the real details of what seems a very complicated story.
Susan Deal, Sheffield, UK

M. James is right in saying that Hitler wasn't a common family name in Germany. A look into the electronic telephone book shows no Hitler in all Germany, but 24 Hittler and still 3 Hiedler. So, possibly, the addition of another "t" (which doesn't change pronunciation) might be the answer to the second question.
Roland Wittig, Freiberg, North Germany

In checking back for the provenance of the name Hitler, one would be better off looking elsewhere than Germany. Hitler was Austrian.
Bill Spring, Frankfurt, Germany

I was born with the Hitler surname. I took the name of my stepfather at my mother's urging when I was 13-years-old. I'm now trying to find out where my former surname came from. My grandfather, on my father's side, used to say that it was of British origin. And, after doing a little genealogical research, I discovered that several Hitlers migrated from Germany to Ohio in the 1760s. My family on my father's side is originally from Ohio, so this seems like a good lead. However, I haven't been able to get much farther in my research than this, as my father has passed away. My grandfather also seems to have no real idea where the name came from. If anyone has any info. it'd be much appreciated.
Christopher Granger, Dumfries, VA, USA

Adolf Schickelgruber changed his name to Adolf Hitler, a not uncommon sirname in the Corinthian province of Austria where he was born, and where indeed some of his relatives had that name. Europe's other modern mass murderer, Josef Stalin, went one step further and created his own surname, Stalin, the man of steel.
C. Alexander Brown, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Correspondent Christopher Granger of Dumfries, VA, USA who was born with the Hitler surname, stated several Hitlers migrated from Germany to Ohio in the 1760s. This is quite unlikely. Settlement in what was then the Northwest Territory did not really begin until after the American Revolution, indeed the Crowns attempt to prohibit it was a precipitating cause. Marietta, the first town in Ohio was not founded until 1788. However, large numbers of German-speakers did immigrate to the future United States before the Revolution, especially to Pennsylvania and Virginia. "Germany", of course, was a loose geographic expression rather than a nation at that time. Many of the immigrants were, like some of my own ancestors, Protestants leaving Catholic dominated areas. My ancestors were from the Alsace. "Acestory.com", which has many resources, lists numerous Hitlers and Hittlers in the US.
David Null, Claremont, CA, USA

I am 88 years of age now and when i escaped here to the Uk in 1945 I changed my name to hidler. I have been constantly harrassed over the years because of my name... The hitler family does still exsist but its a life time since the war....people should get on with their own lives
Kristophe Hitler, Cheltenham England

Hitlers name before he called himself Hitler was COADY, it is an English name which generates from Cornwall in the south of england, so Hitler was actually an Adolf Coady.
Walter, London, England

Just looked up in the phonebook and found one Hitler surname in Gauteng, South Africa. Many Germans emigrated to SA post WW2 and pre WW2.
Byron Mulder, Johannesburg, South Africa

Der Fuhrer's original surname was Pettigrew. Most likely of Scotch-Irish origin.
Jacob McKensy, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Actually it's "Schicklgruber" (That's without an E in between the L and the G). It helps to do a little research on the matter before spouting off...
Chris O'Grady, South Norwood

You are all wrong his real name was "Dahtinzzer", Adolf Dahtinzzer! There's no way to prove to you because it's a covered truth that nobody knows about and you are too ignorant to believe! but I'm sure that if some of you do a deep research you will see I'm not lying!
Johan Wolf, Vienna, Austria

It sounds like you are trying to direct people away from the fact that your own surname, Wolf is what Hitler's sister Paula had changed her name to.
Wilhelm Clinton, Arkansas, US

Who really cares? but I know if I had the name of Hitler, I would change it. So, maybe I do care. I would hate the name Hitler. But, who really cares what his name used to be.
Peggy Cassidy, Petoskey, Emmett

I am orginally from Ohio and know that there were or are Hitlers in southern Ohio. It is believed that they have been there since the early or mid 1800s. There was a road with the Hitler name in southern Ohio named after a very respectable family with the name Hitler long before the Nazi era (in the 19th century). I don't know if the name of the road has changed since the days of the Nazis. It would be interesting to find out.
John Gabel, Eustis, Florida USA

I know nussing, Colonel Klink!!
Sgt Potz (Schultz), Hamburg, Germany

Hitler's real name was Jason. His last name was Thomas. He actually played basketball at UCLA throughout the 30's and didn't look at all like the photographs of the "Hitler" we know. The man with the moustache was a stunt double. Jason Thomas, on the other hand, looked a lot like the actor Tim Allen.
Ruth Mingus, Trade Lake, WI United States

I just checked Google Maps and indeed there is not only a Hitler Road in Ohio but a Hitler Ludwig Cemetery off of Hitler Road, which also has a small chapel called the Hitler Ludwig Chapel (flickr.com) There is also a Hitler Pond in the vicinty. I too wanted to know if there are still people with the name Hitler. Also, some research shows that in fact, Schiklgruber, Hiedler, and Hitler are names associated with Adolf Hitler. I don't know where the other names mentioned come from. I do know there are so many rumors about Hitler, so I try to stay with the facts as I can find them.
Harry Baldman, Beverly Hills USA

People are not taking this seriously. Yes there is no other Hitler name in the history books besides Schicklgruber. Hitler had his birth records destroyed. Read the Rise and Fall of the 3rd Reich, written from testimony from Hitlers official translator who was present at all foreign dignitary meetings.
Larry Mancini, Montreal, Canada

I don't know of any Hitlers in my town but there is a Swastika in Northern Ontario. During WW2 authorities tried to have the town council change the name to Milton but the town refused, stating the symbol and name brought good luck in its native Holland. A rose by any other name....
Gary Paquin, Kinston Ontario Canada

Re: origin of name Hitler I read the origin of the name Hitler when I was a boy in a German youth yearbook edition about 1938, probably Der gute Kamerad, less probably Das neue Universum. Hitler is a contraction of Hütteler (Huetteler). Huette is a hut (small house), thus Huetteler is a builder of huts.
Franz Treu, Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Pettigrew is a Huguenot-derived surname,found in Scotland from the 13th century also found it's way to Ireland via the Plantation of Ulster. It was originally Petit Cru meaning small growth.
Steve L, UK

A terrible untrue rumour spread after World War II about him being "Jewish" or half etc. You are not Jewish unless your mother was.... it has been that way for thousands of years... unless he converted, which he never did. I researched and found that his mother was RC. I hate to think that the very people who gladly collaborated with nazis ie vichy french did this to take the heat off the fact that their religions endorsed and perpetuated such genocide against Jews from the time of Constantine till World War II ...in fact well after all of the nazis were arrested and gone, jews were still being killed, raped and beaten especially in Poland even today. It is not right to blame only Germany... much of Europe was responsible and should pay....I am ashamed of my German heritage...
Jim Norisky, NYC USA

The name Hitler has its origins in some Austrian dialects, surely.
Vitaly Voblenko, Moscow, Russia

I agree with John Burton,O'conner,Australia and Matt James, Sheffield, UK. At first, many of the women who were having babies did name the children after Adolf & even Hitler, But after the Germans were losing that caused most of the mothers to change their names.
Charles Herrera, Payson United States

"A terrible untrue rumour spread after World War II about him being "Jewish" or half etc. You are not Jewish unless your mother was.... it has been that way for thousands of years." Absolutely wrong Jim even if that is the case. It's bigoted and discriminatory and no where to be found in the law of Moses. That is something the Gentile-hating arbitrary Talmudists came up with. There is no logical reason why if your father is a Jew you are not Jewish if you came from him, it's pure stupidity to insist, "Because it's just been that way for a long time" that therefore it must be true. That's a clear logical fallacy.
Daniel Xavier Knight, eternian.wordpress.com USA

Hitler's original name was actually "Gobblescock". And young Adolf had an Australian nanny (Matilda Roopouch) for 2 years who gave him some basic english lessons. Young Adolf realized he would have a lot of bullying if his classmates found out what "Gobblescock" translated to in english. This fact combined with young Adolf's amazing skill and love of baseball (another game introduced to him thru his nanny) ~ especially as a hitter ~ resulted in changing his last name to "Hitter". But due to a bureaucratic error at the Austrian Ministry of Name Changes and Grouse Hunting ~ "Hitter" was incorrectly entered as "Hitler".
Damian Moses O'Sullivan, Moosejaw Canada

Hi chaps! Listen to this. In Romania in the capital city of Bucharest there is a Jewish cemetery named Filantropia, Bulevard Ion Mihalache. Well, according to inpolitics.ro in the article, Povestea mormantului lui Hittler din cimitirul evreiesc-inpolitics.ro, a romanian net-site, there is a grave-stone bearing the name of a certain Adolf Hittler, died in 1892. Eventual researchers revealed that he was an Austrian tailor who moved to Romania. Interesting eh...
nick baker, Bucharest Romania

In 1935 the telephone directory of New York City in the United States, listed 1,024 "Hitler"s. Ten years later, there was not even one. Where did they all go?
Frank Fermier,

A name doesn't make the person you become it obvious the man had something not rite in his head. And had no humanity at all about him it gos back to the theroy nature or nurture no matter what his name he still a very sick man I feel sorry for people who shared his last name I would change mine to if it were hitter it a mame no one would be proud of even if you weren't related.
Phil driver, Sunshine coat Australia

Adolf Hitler's real name was actually Christened Adolphus Hitler. I have done research on Hitler since I was ten years old. I am now in the tenth grade.
Rachael, Romney Norht America

Good heavens! An ancestor of mine named Jonas Huttler came to the USA from Prague in 1863 to fight in the Union Army. He was always a puzzle, since long after the war. He died as an elder in the German Reformed Church, although he was baptized at age 24 shortly before marrying one Greta Pfilzer (the sister of an army buddy) - even though the German Reformed Church practiced infant baptism. We long supposed he was an erring Mennonite or Dunkard, until someone went to the Czech Republic, looked up old records, and found that Jonas Huttler came from a family of Jewish bookbinders (one of several trades he followed after settling in Illinois after the Civil War).
Cephas H, Rockersburg USA

I have no idea about the surname Hitler however young Adolf did irreparable harm to the popularity of the toothbrush moustache an otherwise splendid piece of facial hair.
Henry Lawson, Crooked Creek Australia

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