Fiedler
A German occupational surname meaning “fiddler” or violin player.
The #4,777 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 41,705 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fiedler comes from Middle High German videlaere, meaning “fiddler” or “violin player.” It is an occupational surname, originally given to someone who played the fiddle professionally. The same root is reflected in later German spellings such as Fiedler and older variants like Fiedeler and Viedler.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and is also found in emigrant communities elsewhere. English-language surname writers sometimes glossed it simply as “fiddler,” and the form has remained especially recognizable because it is transparent in German. The surname appears in historical records with several spellings, but Fiedler became the standard form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is one of the clearest examples of a musician’s job turning directly into a family name.
From the historical record
“Fidler. Le Fidelaire ; a loc. n., Norm. OrAA.Fitela; £. Fiedler; p.n. (a fiddler). See Vidler Fidoe. See Fiddy Field. D. Fjelde ; a p.n. See Fell”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)