Lingenfelter
A German-language surname likely referring to someone from or near a place called Lingen or a similar topographic feature.
The #9,330 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 88,440 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lingenfelter is a German surname of likely locational origin. It appears to be built from a place-name element such as Lingen, combined with a field-related element like German "Feld" meaning "field," suggesting someone who lived by, came from, or was associated with a place described that way. As with many German surnames, the exact source place may be local and not always easy to pin down from the name alone.
History
The name is found among families of German-speaking origin and is especially familiar in North America, where it was brought by immigrants and their descendants. Spellings of this type often became fixed after migration, even when the original European place reference was no longer obvious. Because the name is relatively uncommon, its history is usually traced through family lines rather than through a widely known public figure.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Names ending in -felter often reflect older German place-name forms built around "field" or farmland references.